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Hi friends, it’s Nadia! 💌

I know, I know. It's been a minute. A long, quiet, somewhat chaotic minute… and I owe you more than one line to explain it. But today I come bearing news so good I couldn't stay silent any longer, so consider this my dramatic return to your inbox. More on where I've been very soon. (There's a newsletter coming that I think you're going to love. Hint: it involves my nose changing in very unexpected ways.)

THE SCOOP~

Scent Bar is opening on 663 Driggs Ave in Williamsburg — this weekend. I was there yesterday for a private preview with the LuckyScent team, including co-founder Franco Wright and I can confirm: the doors are open to the public this Saturday at 11:00AM. This is the second New York location for the LA-based niche fragrance institution, and from what I’ve seen, it’s going to be larger, more event-forward, and differently designed than the Nolita outpost on Elizabeth Street.

The new space is bigger, brighter, and designed for the way we actually want to shop fragrance. Unlike the beloved Elizabeth Street location— where most bottles live behind the counter/bar— Williamsburg opens things up considerably. You can actually grab bottles yourself, move through categories freely, and take your time. The flow is better, the natural light is generous, and there is even a small outdoor patio which, if you know anything about fragrance shopping, is genuinely life-changing. Step outside, clear your nose in the open air, and dive back in for more. As one should.

I was guided through the space by the wonderful Steven Gontarski, and like the Nolita location, the store is organized by category but with meaningful additions. Given the explosion of releases in the industry, they’ve expanded the gourmand section and added dedicated space for popular favorites like tea, cult femme, chocolate, coffee, and more. The categories feel more considered, and less crammed.

And the part I’m most excited about: events. This space can hold them properly. The niche fragrance community is always hungry for more gatherings, more access, more shared olfactory experiences and Scent Bar Williamsburg is designed to deliver exactly that.

For the uninitiated: LuckyScent and its brick-and-mortar Scent Bar have been the gold standard of niche fragrance retail in the US for years. If you’ve ever fallen into a 1am rabbit hole of obscure, independent, beautiful fragrances… you’ve probably ended up on their site. They recently secured investor backing, and this Williamsburg opening feels like the first move in something bigger.

What this means for ~fragheads~: Williamsburg is now home to two of the most exciting niche fragrance destinations in New York City, within blocks of each other. You can quite literally bop from one to the next until you are utterly, blissfully nose blind (!!!) LuckyScent could not have picked a better area.

The community welcomes all new spaces, places where we can expand our senses and our perspectives. Stéle, which opened in Williamsburg first before expanding to Mott Street in Nolita, is right there in the neighborhood. The NYC fragrance community has built a deep devotion with both boutiques and they are not so much competitors as two different love languages for the same obsession. Both have their place. Both deserve your nose.

(BONUS: Japanese-house LINC Original Makers boutique is also around the corner from Scent Bar’s Williamsburg’s location!)

If you’re there tomorrow, let me know because I will be there around ~5pm.

***Don’t forget to keep scrolling for all the events happening in the coming weeks!

A NOTE TO MY PAID SUBSCRIBERS~

You have been genuinely patient and kind, and I don’t take that lightly. As a thank you for sticking around, I’m pausing paid subscriptions for the next 30-60 days while I return to a proper rhythm. Thank you for still being here. xx Nadia

UPCOMING EVENTS—

• McCormick Black Currant Experience, 4/24 6-11pm

• Glass Candies Pop-up this weekend 4/25-4/26, 12-6pm

• Nette at Bloomingdale’s Soho, 4/25

• Bath & Body x Vera Bradley Pop-up, 4/24-4/26

• Twin Peaks-Inspired Candle-Making Class, 4/26

• Scent & Style with , 4/28

• Perfumed and Peculiar Wine Tasting, 4/28

• Lalique & Hermes Tour on UES, 4/30

• Hotel Candle Lobby x Nespresso, 4/30

UPCOMING MAY EVENTS—

• Fragrance, Fashion, and Interiors of the Gilded Age, 5/1

• Perfume Discovery Party with EAU Snap! and Powder Room Beauty, 5/3

• Devil Wears Prada-Inspired Candle Making Class, 5/7 and 5/17

• Mother’s Day Perfume-Making Class, 5/8

• The History & Craft of Incense, 5/9

• Twilight-Inspired Candle Making Class at The Twisted Spine, 5/11

• Artificial Olfaction or Olfactory Intelligence?, 5/14

• Create Your Own Body Oil, 5/16

• Nonfiction, a Korean fragrance house with nearly a dozen stores in Asia, opened their very first US store on the LES — minutes from Aedes de Venustas.

• Vacation is releasing 5 versions of Orange Gelée in EDT form —we smelled these late last year and my favorites were GELÉE MINÉRALE, GELÉE VANILLE, and GELÉE TROPIQUES.

• Guerlain's $660 Vanille Planifolia has been their best-selling product online for five months straight — and the dupe conversation it sparked on TikTok is what finally pushed the 198-year-old house into its very first paid influencer campaign. The verdict from everyone who tried to find a dupe? There isn't one.

• Ten years after launching Dark Ride, Xyrena is back with an officially licensed Jurassic Park extrait — opening with stormy petrichor, rainforest greenery, neroli, and blackcurrant, finishing on fossilized amber and brominated water. Comes in a VHS box. $120. Chaos theory, bottled….

• Flower Shop Perfumes Co. just launched its first in-house brand, El Morocco Perfumery, inspired by the legendary NYC nightclub that ran from 1931 to 1970 — a glamorous haunt of Humphrey Bogart, Lucille Ball, and Eva Gabor. Five fragrances with names like Two Cigarettes in the Dark and Lulu's Back In Town, packaged in an embossed silver compact (quite heavy!) modeled after vintage cigarette cases. Available in a $135 discovery set, and yes, carried by Scent Bar/LuckyScent. I’ve heard full-size bottles are gorgeous and coming this summer.

• For nine years, Bulgari Hotels' signature scent, Eau Parfumée Thé Impérial, a bergamot, black tea, and musk blend by master perfumer Jacques Cavallier, lived exclusively in their lobbies. $165 for 75ml.

That’s all for today, friends!

Thank you for reading, sharing, sniffing, and staying nosey. :) If you enjoyed this, please share it with someone who doesn’t have a perfume budget. <3

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Hi friends, it’s Nadia! 💌 Spring is almost upon us (although it may not feel like it today). The scent world has been busy while I’ve been a little quiet. Today’s newsletter covers: a roundup of events, fragrance news, and things that caught my nose lately.

UPCOMING EVENTS—

• The Witch Launch Event at Stéle, 3/13 (password: magic)

• Perfume Swap in Brooklyn, 3/14

• Scent & Culture Series (Online), 3/14

• Perfumers Masterclass at Commodity Soho, 3/19

• FRAGRANCE WEEK ON MADISON AVENUE 📍 March 21 — 27
  To celebrate International Fragrance Day (March 21) The Fragrance Foundation and Madison Avenue B.I.D. are hosting their 2nd Fragrance Week Experience. Luxury boutiques—including Creed, Diptyque, Parfums de Marly, D.S. & Durga, Fueguia 1833, and Granado—will offer exclusive events, immersive scent experiences, and special promotions.

• We’re working on a Tea Flight + Fragrance Experience at cha& for 3/21 - follow us on IG to stay updated!

• Wicked Scent Fragrance & Bingo Night, 3/23

• Tinctures & Absolutes for Perfumers (Online), 3/24

  

• FUMED INDIE PERFUME EXPO📍CHICAGO March 28 — 29
  FUMED is the latest indie expo to enter the fragrance world. But from the onset, you can tell they’re not trying to be Esxence or ScentXplore. Started by Kyle Mott-Kannanberg (founder and perfumer behind Blend, the umbrella brand for OSM perfume), the expo is only open to independently run fragrance houses — no brands backed by venture capital.
  
  Their ethos reads:

  “Our mission is to strip away the carnival bazaar noise and return the focus to the perfume in the bottle and the hands that made it. By creating a democratic, level playing field for independent brands and perfumers, we foster an environment where a first-time nose and a seasoned veteran stand on equal ground.”

• This comes at a moment when the fragrance world is rapidly shifting. Enthusiasts are increasingly moving away from designer releases and VC-backed “indie” brands, and gravitating toward truly independent, perfumer-led houses. That sentiment has been supercharged recently by debates within the fragrance community about AI imagery in perfume marketing—spoiler: most fragheads hate it —and people getting far more intentional about where their money and their nose go. Perfume has always been political; this is just the beginning.

• Exhibitors include Amphora Parfum, Blackcliff, CLST Perfumes, MITTI Parfum, Jean Robert, Pearfat Parfum, Perfume Who, Syd Botanica, The Alloy Studio — and more. Many friends of Perfumeverse will be there — let us know if you’re going! 🎟 Tickets are still available!

UPCOMING APRIL EVENTS—

• Octavia Morgan Layering Event in Chelsea, 4/03

• Solid Perfume Workshop, 4/04

• Not-A-Normal Spring Market, 4/10-4/12, 4/17-4/19

• Intro to Olfactive Storytelling & Museology, 4/04

• Scent & Style with , 4/28

• Lalique & Hermes Tour on UES, 4/30

• Our perfume club New York Nose was tagged in Dazed Beauty’s feature on the global rise of “perfume clubs.” READ HERE! The piece highlights scent communities forming everywhere from London to Berlin, New York to Wrocław, Helsinki to Newcastle — and we were thrilled to see New York Nose representing the NYC scene.

• I can’t get this Dior J’Adore and Poison vintage shoulder bag in the current season of my life right now, but one of you can and should.

• British fragrance house Perfumer H lands a $4.5M investment from Elixir 1 Investment (led by former Aesop CEO Michael O’Keeffe) and Ilyos Capital, headed by former Aesop general manager Thomas Buisson, according to Business of Fashion.

• Estée Lauder Cos. Sues Jo Malone, Zara Over Jo Loves Fragrance Collab. LOL.

• The Fragrance Files is a new podcast from the NYC community and friend Michelle (@michysmells), joined by another friend, Josh. It’s honestly a breath of fresh air to hear fragrance conversations from people who are deeply in the community but also speaking from the consumer perspective, and from Michy’s vantage point working at Stéle. Listen to their latest episode on the Politics of Perfume.

• According to Byrdie, these are the perfumes you need if you want to smell like a “pornstar martini.” Spoiler: it’s all passionfruit-coded.

What does Rosalía smell like?

Rosalía is one of my favorite artists — I first discovered her during MOTOMAMI and immediately fell in love with the way she blends genres and textures. Her new project LUX has moments that left me speechless, and other moments where I wish I were back in a college literature class dissecting every line. I’ll be seeing her at Madison Square Garden this June—I know it will be a divine experience.

I often find myself wondering about what Rosalía smells like, daydreaming of interviewing her for Perfumeverse, and if she uses scent in her practice of creation.

In an interview with Dazed Beauty, she described the smells that remind her of creating LUX:

“Jacaranda, new notebooks, old books, dates, argan, gasoline, burnt tire, vanilla, cigarettes, palo santo, freshly beaten butter and brown sugar, sweat, tears, blood, permanent marker, thumbtacks, cacao, popcorn, the smell of corroded metal on gym weights, lip gloss and pimentón.”

Smells like a perfume brief waiting to happen.

That’s all for today, friends! Stay warm <3

Thank you for reading, sharing, sniffing, and staying nosey. :) If you enjoyed this, please share it with someone who doesn’t use enough paprika. <3

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• Hi friends, it’s Nadia! 💌 Hope you have all had a lovely start to the New Year. I’ve been on an (unplanned) hiatus recovering from Q4 of 2025. I hope to be back soon next month more consistently (paid subs are paused until then!) I appreciate/miss all of you amazing readers! A few updates:

• We’re hosting our first “Community-Led” event of 2026 — a “micro-swap,” which is a lowkey, sample/travel size swap to help fragrance friends sniff and swap together. This is spearheaded by long-time Perfumeverse subscribers & I’m so excited for all the awesome ideas you guys have. I hope you can be there! Please RSVP here on Partiful.

• Perfumeverse is looking for contributors, freelancers, interns who want to help us spearhead this publication to new territory this year. If you love to dabble in fragrance/scent, are based in NY/NJ, and have writing and social media experience—please respond to this email~

• Take a look back at our Joya Studio Event in October and Pearfat Holiday Mixer in December! We even created a fun zine—reply back if you want a copy.

THIS WEEK 1/15—1/18:

• ATMOSPHERE WITH AESOP, 1/15 + 1/16

• SCENT & SIP PERFUME CLASS, 1/17

• POP-UP TALK: MONET & VENICE AT BROOKLYN MUSEUM, 1/17

• PERFUMEVERSE SAMPLE SWAP, 1/18

• UPCOMING FRAGRANCE CLASSES AT FRAGRANCE ALLIANCE NETWORK

• SOL DE JANEIRO ROSA CHARMOSA COLLECTION LAUNCH, (through 3/29)

• MALIN+GOETZ GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL POP UP (through 2/16)

UPCOMING JAN & FEB EVENTS!

• Scent & Style: Iconic Perfumes (1900-1950), 1/21

• Perfumery Workshop with PINE 617, 1/31

• Monet & Venice at Brooklyn Museum, scented by Joya Studio (through 2/1)

• The Orchid Show at NYBG, starting 2/7

• Sensual Scents and Aromas, 2/9

• Marc Jacobs Fragrance Event, 2/9

• Valentine’s Wine & Fragrance Class, 2/14

• Perfume Room Smells Like Love, 2/14

• Film & Fragrance: A Curated Sensory Experience, 2/19

• The Olfactive Gallery: A conversation on the object hood of smell with Jessica Murphy and Andreas Keller, 2/25

• I haven’t been able to tolerate scent/perfumes too much recently — so my recent favs have been Soma Ayurvedic’s Bombay Fleur Perfume Oil, and lighting Santa Maria Novella’s incense papers.

• HIDDEN GEM—> While wandering Williamsburg, I stumbled upon the stunning Japanese fragrance house LINC ORIGINAL MAKERS and picked up their discovery kit (including a NYC-exclusive scent). The brand feels like a perfect mash-up of Le Labo’s modern apothecary energy and Officine Universelle Buly’s old-world heritage—my standout so far is No. 924, a serene blend of freesia, lily of the valley, and cypress that evokes a true forest-bathing (shinrin-yoku) moment. You MUST go!

• I missed the NYC pop-up UK-based body care brand 39BC held yesterday. SO excited to try their Fig Milk Body Oil Cleanser —and the entire brand.

• Love this clip shared by on Heated Rivalry’s star sharing his favorite “JD Malone” scent.

• Everyone is saying how fragrance is the latest red carpet accessory—obv?

• Salt & Stone installed a 12-foot replica of their popular deodorant on top of Aspen Mountain as part of their immersive pop-up.

• If you missed perfumer Michael Nordstrand’s talk at the Getty Museum last year on recreating an ancient perfume, you can now watch it on YouTube.

That’s all for today, friends! Stay warm <3

Thank you for reading, sharing, sniffing, and staying nosey. :) If you enjoyed this, please share it with someone who doesn’t own a bubble jacket. <3

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Hello friends! This is Nadia 🙂 Who else has had a pep in their step since Tuesday night? I can’t be the only one. Today’s newsletter will cover: upcoming events, a coupon code for my favorite Jasmine body oil, & Zohran Mamdani’s historic win.

SOTD: Jasmine Body Oil, with a side of Cardamom Seeds

“Perfume you can eat.” That’s how Zohran Mamdani described Rajnigandha Silver Pearls in a viral video recently. These silver pearls are saffron-blended cardamom seeds you’ll find in every South Asian auntie’s purse,meant to freshen your breath after a meal.

It’s funny, but also true: our scent culture has always lived at the intersection of ritual and flavor. Those tiny silver pearls your parents kept in the car or passed around after dinner are really fragments of olfactory history: jasmine, cardamom, and memory disguised as mouth freshener. Seeing him unapologetically share something that personal, that specific, in public felt strange… almost disorienting. It took me back to showing up at school with henna after Eid and realizing, suddenly, that something ordinary to me looked foreign to everyone else.

When Mamdani won this week, my heart felt full in a way it hasn’t for a long time. I’ve always tried to steer clear of “identity politics,” even in fragrance; I like what I like. Just because someone looks like me doesn’t mean they get an automatic stamp of approval on my taste. That’s the only way to stay fair.

But these last two months—watching him center ordinary voices, speak to young people without condescension, eat with his hands, and withstand billionaires, racist attacks, and outright lies—I realized it’s finally okay to go outside again. I peeked out from the curtain I’ve been behind since sixth grade.

Growing up Indian and Muslim even before 9/11, I spent years trying to disappear parts of myself — the names, the smells, the language, the rituals. It took adulthood to realize those were my roots, my own fragrance history. I kept thinking about how South Asian fragrance has always been political, how our jasmine, attars, and oils were once dismissed as “too much,” or “too foreign.” The same notes that shaped centuries of perfumery were written off as excess when they came from us.

---

So this week, I’ve been reaching for the Soma Ayurvedic Jasmine Body Oil again. I’ve already shared my love for this Madurai jasmine oil here and here — it’s a scent that reminds me of the beauty we come from. Radiant, grounded, familiar, and proud.

The scent itself opens soft, like jasmine at golden hour. Not indolic, but lifted by spearmint, vetiver, and pomegranate oils. It melts into the skin, leaving behind a creamy, warm floral trail that feels intimate and luminous. Perfect after a shower on damp skin, or layered under your favorite solar fragrance. I love wearing it to bed. Romantic, yes but also powerful.

In a fragrance landscape still obsessed with Eurocentric ideals, this jasmine body oil feels quietly subversive. Oils once dismissed as old-fashioned or “ethnic” are finding their way back to the center of modern perfumery, and that feels extra poetic this week. Like the world is finally catching up to what we’ve known all along.

The story behind it is just as intoxicating. Soma’s founder, Arjun, calls this the hero product that started it all. It’s made from jasmine buds grown in Madurai, a small town in South India often called The Jasmine City. The bloom is treated like an art form there — the soil, the heat, the air, everything perfectly tuned to produce the most fragrant jasmine on earth. It’s so potent that it perfumes the air at night.

Soma takes that heritage and distills it into something unmistakably modern. An object of ritual and refinement. It’s a return to ritual, to softness, to self.

This is where modern perfumery is headed: formulations that live between skincare and scent, designed for embodiment rather than excess. It’s what happens when craftsmanship replaces hype, when the artistry of the ingredient takes center stage. The niche future I want to smell.

I’ve been able to snag a special discount for our community. Let me know if you try it and use code PERFUMEVERSE for 20% off. <3

• Perfume as architecture, light, and landscape: really loving these perfume flacons. The collaboration between Lalique and artist James Turrell started with these two flacons — Range Rider and Purple Sage. Turrell wanted to bottle the spirit of the American West: air that hums with light, the scent of worn leather, and the quiet mythology of Arizona.

• Givaudan just pulled off a major scent science flex — decoding how our noses recognize nature’s notes and boosting receptor sensitivity by 100x, paving the way for fragrance design guided by molecular precision instead of guesswork.

• Love this deep-dive into Mexican niche perfumery.

• PaulReacts is putting together the most insane PR packages for single moms to give away on December 1st—including Ulta gift cards and tons of products. Wholesome, indeed.

• Grand Scentral Station: Bath & Body Works scented the platforms of Grand Central with their fresh balsam scent. Did you catch it?

TODAY, 11/6—11/9

• Guerlain celebrates 100 Years of Shalimar Exhibit, 11/5—11/20

• BORNTOSTANDOUT Founder at Scent Bar, TODAY 11/6

• Oud-Infused Art at NUTA on Spring Street, TODAY 11/6

• Poolsuite & Vacation® Ultradisco Night, TODAY 11/6

• EOS Express Pop-up, TODAY 11/6

• Vaseline x Loverboy Pop-up at zero-proof Soft Bar, TODAY 11/6

• Tesserae- A Curated Pop-up, TODAY—11/9

• House of Beauty Book Signing + Fragrance Swap, 11/7

• Witchy Candle-Making with Herbal Magic, 11/7

• Kiehl’s Holiday Season Givebacks, 11/7—11/13

• The Alloy Studio Scent x Flash Tattoos Event, 11/8

• Grillo’s x P.F. Candle Launch Party, 11/8

• FAD Market, 11/9

UPCOMING NOVEMBER EVENTS >

• Fragrance Appreciation for Curious Beginners with , 11/17

• Botanical Perfume-Making at The Alchemist’s Kitchen with Irina Adam, 11/21

• Perfume-Making with Planet Sis, 11/21

• ScentExpo with the Artisanal Oud Community, 11/22

• Hand-crafted Incense Workshop, 11/29

• ScentXplore returns Dec 4—6

That’s all, friends!

x
Nadia

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Hello friends! This is Nadia 🙂 Today’s newsletter will cover: upcoming events, news/fun collabs, and cute aggression in 30ml.

SOTD: A chiquito of Misfit with a side of Venice Rococo

• Arquiste Goes Chiquito~

  It’s no surprise to anyone who follows me that Arquiste is one of my favorite houses. Let me count the ways. First, the storytelling: each fragrance is steeped in history, memory, and fact, woven together with precision. It makes sense, given founder Carlos Huber’s background in architecture and restoration; he’s someone who knows how to keep the soul of history alive. Huber’s eye for design is imprinted all over Arquiste — from the name and logo to those elegant, weighty bottles he once charmingly called “scent grenades” in our profile last year. [Go on, read it now, dear reader…]

• And then, of course, there’s the juice itself. In an era of algorithm-driven hype cycles and influencer-fueled launches, Arquiste remains refreshingly grounded in quality and performance. We’ve somehow reached a point where the desire for a long-lasting perfume gets labeled “beast-mode” (or worse, MAGA-coded), but really — what’s wrong with a fragrance that lingers? For me, Arquiste does it best. From Tropical and The Architect’s Club to Flor y Canto and L’or de Louis with its 24k gold, I honestly can’t choose a favorite. I impulsively bought both Almond Suede and Venice Rococo last year, and though I adore them I’ve barely made a dent. Which is why Arquiste’s latest move feels like perfection: the Chiquitos collection.

• The house has miniaturized its 11 most beloved scents into 30ml bottles. Still chic, still design-forward, but now cute. (How do you make cute look this classy? Teach me your ways, Carlos, because I strive to embody these adjectives every day). At $105 a bottle, they’re gift-able, collectible, and dangerously easy to justify — the kind of thing you buy for someone special… or yourself. (And if you’re making a holiday list, please, kindly add me.)

• Future Society x K18 Hair Mask featuring their Floating Forest scent.

• Snif is launching their new sub-brand, Notewrks, next month— promising to ~remix~ the future of men’s colognes.

• Herbal Essences revives its flirty ʼ90s spirit with “Scent Traps,” a playful nostalgia-meets-fragrance campaign starring Love Island’s Amaya Espina, turning “thirst traps” into olfactory ones.

• D.S. & Durga’s new collab for Violet Grey is fit for sneaky little meeting in the powder room: a modern violet, leather, lipstick, and the trail of a slim cigarette.

• Dying to smell the Milk Bar x Bath & Body Works products.

• Amouage Petite Boutique is petite no more. The Omani house has unveiled its first permanent flagship, “Brickfield,” a stunning collision of desert and city energy on 150 Spring Street in SoHo. Because really, where else would you debut a beauty like this but SoHo? (God, I’ll love you forever New York City). The house joins the ever-growing list of 11 new fragrance stores opened this year in the city.
  

UPCOMING EVENTS >

• Arabelle Sicardi House of Beauty x Smell Ya Later Event, TODAY 10/23

• Studio Tanaïs I WANT YOU Launch Party, 10/24

• Dior Shopping Experience at Macy’s Brooklyn, 10/24

• New Killian Fragrances Exploration at Macy’s 34th St., 10/24

• You still have time to join our Scent & Horror Williamsburg Tour on 10/25!

• EILISH Fragrances Sampling Pop-up in Soho, 10/25

• Häagen-Dazs x Snif Pumpkin Spice Celebration in Brooklyn, 10/25

• Dossier Sample Sale online, until 10/25

• Glass Candies Trick or Treat Perfume Event, 10/30

• Boy Smells Pop-up on Elizabeth Street~

UPCOMING NOVEMBER EVENTS >

• Guerlain celebrates 100 Years of Shalimar Exhibit, 11/5—11/20

• Perfume & Floral Arrangement Workshop, 11/6

• Oud-Infused Art at NUTA on Spring Street, 11/6

• Poolsuite & Vacation® Ultradisco Night, 11/6 [finally something in NYC!]

That’s all, friends!

x
Nadia

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Hi friends, it’s Nadia! 💌 Just sending a short letter today with some event happenings. Hope yall stay warm & smell nice!

THIS WEEKEND 10/10—10/12 :

• Jazmin Saraï Pop-up at Common Things (TODAY until 8PM)

• Boy Smells Pop-up on 268 Elizabeth St. (until 10/12)

• Historic French perfume house L.T. Piver, Printemps New York (10/8–10/12) founded in 1774, returns to the U.S. with a four-day relaunch at presented by Mon Œil Brands, showcasing seven fragrances and rare archival artifacts celebrating 250 years of perfumery. You can read more about it here.

• Green-Wood Cemetery After Hours Events, 10/11

• Queens Night Market, (10/11, 10/18, 10/25)

• Literary & Sensory Salon with Author A’Lelia Bundles MUSE HARLEM, 10/12

• Beyond NYC~

  • Maison Matcha at Scent Bar DTLA, 10/11

  • Une Nuit Nomade at Madame Aucoin New Orleans, 10/11

UPCOMING (SPOOKY) OCTOBER EVENTS!

• Maison Orveda Multi-Sensory Experience, 10/16

• Italian Artistic Perfumery Experience, 10/17

• Book our Scent x Horror Perfume Tour in Analog Alley of Williamsburg

• Aura Sanctuary NYC Pop-Up, 10/17

• HÄXAN Eau de Macabre Movie Night by Heretic Parfum in Salem, MA, 10/20

• Veronique Gabai Entrepreneurial Panel, 10/21

• Fischersund is back at Stéle, 10/21

• Commodity Scent Space Mixer 10/23

• Arabelle Sicardi House of Beauty x Smell Ya Later Event, 10/23

• Perfume-Making Craft Night, 10/24

• Fright Night Mixology in Brooklyn, 10/25

• Glass Candies Trick or Treat Perfume Event, 10/30

• Fine’ry released dry shampoos and I can’t wait to try them.

• D.S. & Durga dropped their Halloween Studio Juice — this time with notes of fur.

• I can take this Weeping Bust by Heretic off anyone’s hands (or mantles!)

That’s all for today, friends! Stay dry & have a lovely weekend! <3

Thank you for reading, sharing, sniffing, and staying nosey. :) If you enjoyed this, please share it with someone who loves pumpkin spice. <3

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Hi friends, it’s Nadia! I’m cooking up some special events for the rest of this year, and this first one is a bit last-minute. I wanted to float it by you all before we move forward.

We’re talking with Joya Studio in Red Hook (499 Van Brunt St) — one of Brooklyn’s most iconic fragrance houses, known for their sculptural candles, immersive installations, and artist collaborations — about hosting a fun meetup on Saturday, October 4th! [UPDATE: RSVP HERE!]

Here’s the idea:

• ✨ A private walkthrough of Joya’s studio where you’ll see their creative process up close, experience their current installation with Tom Fruin, and get a peek at some of the incredible projects they’ve worked on, including collaborations with A24, Dominique Ansel, Ernest Hemingway, and more.

• 🍷 A wine pop-up by Dancing Wines: a winery that partnered with Joya to create three fragrances inspired by their winemaking process. (My favorite is Midnight Crush — juicy plum-cassis with a smoky, spicy dry-down.)

• To make it easy to get there, I may even run a complimentary shuttle from the nearest station to Red Hook!

• Hit reply or drop a comment to let me know — your feedback will help me decide if we make it happen. 💌

THURSDAY 9/25 — SUNDAY 9/28:

• Aesop’s in-store event for Above Us, Steorra, TODAY 5-7PM (RSVP!)

• Villa Erbatium Rice Makgeolli Event at VIBE TWVL, 9/26-10/5

• P.F. Candle Co Pop-in, 9/26-9/28

• Not-A-Normal Fall Market, 9/26-9/28

• A Multi-Sensory Event with Scent, Sound, & Flowers including Mitti Parfum’s artisanal scents at BG Clubhouse, 9/27

• Blueme Grand Opening Event, 9/27

• Nevermore: A September Poe Market, 9/27

• Hand-Crafted Incense Workshop, 9/28

• Y Dimension Scent Party, 9/28

• Tea Picnic & Art Session, 9/28

UPCOMING OCTOBER EVENTS!

• Sniffaplaooza x Scents of Grenada Virtual Masterclass, 9/29

• Octavia Morgan LA Scent Events Friday, 10/3

  • Paint x Scent Event 12-5PM

  • Scent x Sip Event 5-7PM

• BOSS Launch at Mercer Labs, 10/4

• Brooklyn Botanic Garden Fragrance Tour, 10/4

• Beyond NYC~ Vacation Corporate Cookout in Atlanta, 10/4

• Spooky Day Trip to Salem, 10/5

• The Colors NYC: A one-day convention for beauty, fragrance & multicultural innovation, 10/8

• Literary & Sensory Salon with Author A’Lelia Bundles MUSE HARLEM, 10/12

• Sinister Scents and Perfumed Potions Class, 10/20

• Pre-order ’ Spellbound edition of the Scent Strip magazine before 10/1

• Squishmallows is launching three fragrances exclusively at Ulta, inspired by characters Patty the Cow, Zumirez the Bat, and Cam the Cat.

• Ariana Grande’s next limited-edition fragrance drop is a Wicked one.

• Reason #265 to go to Japan: The Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum now carries ramen-inspired fragrances.

• Olfactory NYC opens their ninth retail location in Dallas’ West Village.

• A great read on Gabar by Dazed.

• I really love this mooncake x perfume set featuring Chasing Scents for a true fragrance and flavor moment.

That’s all for today, friends! Stay dry & have a lovely weekend! <3

Thank you for reading, sharing, sniffing, and staying nosey. :) If you enjoyed this, please share it with someone who doesn’t own an umbrella. <3

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Hi friends, it’s Nadia! September is STACKED with scent events! Today’s letter is overflowing with fragrance happenings — pop-ups, launches, and one-day events worth bookmarking.. Please go to all of them & let me know what you loved (or didn’t!) 💌

THURSDAY 9/11 — SUNDAY 9/14:

• Aramis Intuition Pop-Up (Today 2PM–8PM)

• Phlur Cherry Stem Pop-Up, 9/10–9/11

• Highsnobiety Pop-up, 9/11 & 9/13

• Noyz IRL Event, 9/12

• Christian Louboutin Fétiche Pop-Up, 9/12–9/14

• Dream Tea NYC x Malin+Goetz, 9/13

• Ralph Lauren x Usher at Macy’s, 9/13

• Byredo The Astral Hour Pop-Up, 9/13–9/14

• Orebella: The Eternal Roots Café, 9/13–9/14

• Chocolate Gourmand Accords Class, 9/13

• Liquid I.V. Bodega, 9/13–9/14 (might as well stay hydrated!)

• Joya Studio x Tom Fruin: All Access Pass opens Friday, 9/12. A 12-foot illuminated rooftop sculpture that doubles as a scented beacon on the Brooklyn waterfront. Inspired by Webster Hall wristbands and Fruin’s kaleidoscopic water towers, the installation transforms discarded materials into luminous memory markers—while Joya layers fragrance into the experience. On view through October 10, the space also features site-specific art, scent experiments, and limited products tied to the collaboration.

• Beyond NYC ~ Chocolate & Perfume Tour for World Taste & Smell Day in Nashville, 9/14

UPCOMING! (SCENT, BEAUTY, SOCIAL)

• All the NYFW September 2025 Events here and here.

• Founder & Master Perfumer Olivier Cresp of Akro Fragrances at Scent Bar, 9/15

• LoveShackFancy x Tinder: Secret Crush Café, 9/18–9/20

• Fall Fragrance Swap at MUSE Harlem, 9/20

• Meet Chris Collins for the Forbidden Apple Experience: Sephora Harlem (9/25, 7PM), Sephora World Trade Center (9/26, 12–5PM), Sephora Roosevelt Field (9/27, 12–5PM)

• Hydrosol Tasting Workshop, 9/27

• Blueme Fragrances Grand Opening RSVP, 9/27

• Spray It Loud & Proud — Travaulya Wallace + L’Oréal at Macy’s, 9/27

• Hand-Crafted Incense Workshop, 9/28

• DIY Body Oil Workshop, 9/28

• Moroccanoil x Maman (Through 9/30)

• Brooklyn Botanic Garden Fragrance Tour, 10/4

• The Colors NYC: A one-day convention for beauty, fragrance & multicultural innovation, 10/8

• Sniffapalooza Fall Ball, 10/18

• Sinister Scents and Perfumed Potions Class with , 10/20

• Dreaming of becoming a perfumer? Givaudan’s rare paid 4-year trainee program is open — train in France & Singapore, graduate as a Junior Perfumer.

• Sephora is now on Uber Eats. Come through, Gucci Bloom!

• Cookie girlies, this one’s for you. 🍪✨ Snif x Levain’s candle smells like warm chocolate, walnuts, sea salt, and cozy musk.. aka a Levain morning in wax form. Limited bundles (with cookies, obviously!) are on Levain’s site now, and it drops on Snif 9/16.

• One of my favorite [indie] brands Pearfat Parfum is now available on LuckyScent. P.S. don’t miss their creepy collection.

• We mentioned earlier this year that a new luxury pet care brand is entering the sphere. Here’s a first look at brand Biche’s Cloud Cleanser and Fur Conditioner, from founder and former Highsnobiety editor Alexandra Pauly. More on BoF.

• Balenciaga launched one ten fragrances in their newest collection.

• Régime des Fleurs is dropping three wicked scents in a Gothic Revival collection.

• This spooky season, I only want to be hand fed this pie. 🖤🥧

That’s all for today, friends! Have a lovely weekend <3

Thank you for reading, sharing, sniffing, and staying nosey. :) If you enjoyed this, please share it with someone who doesn’t like blueberry pie. <3

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Hi friends, it’s Nadia! Happy September! Today’s letter covers upcoming events to get you excited for a fun Fall season, and a spotlight on a brand I’ve been dying to share: Glass Candies. Homegrown in NYC by a perfumer and food artist—it’s a fun new way to imagine gourmand scents.

perfume intel~

Arquiste is unveiling something dark, daring, and very New York this Fall. Think nightlife, leather, night-blooming florals, underground energy, and a scent built for after-hours allure. 🖤

FRIDAY 9/5 — SUNDAY 9/7:

• Lattafa Bite Me Bakery Pop-up, 9/6–9/7

• The Maker Hotel presents Sophie’s Table with chef & curator Sophie Dalah, 9/1–9/8 (book via Resy)

• Maison d’Etto September pop-up at 140 Wooster St., SoHo—living gallery of scent + preview of Rodrigo Flores-Roux’s Fall/Winter release

• Stéle September celebration on Mott St., 9/6 3-6PM

• Emma of Perfumism at Commodity Soho for Milk Orchid, 9/6, 11AM-2PM

• D.S. & Durga launch Cognac Reign: caramelized bergamot, cognac & limousine oak. In-store celebrations at their Williamsburg shop—with cognac cocktails & complimentary engravings, 9/6, 3-7PM

• Lush Diwali 2025 Collection is now live: featuring Mango Lassi shower gel, Mango Kulfi body conditioner & festive treats

BEYOND NYC~

• Huff Smells Meetup in Richmond, VA, 9/6

• Bon Parfumeur Event at Ministry of Scent in SF, 9/6

UPCOMING!

• Phlur Cherry Stem Pop-up at Sephora Soho, 9/10–9/11

• NOYZ Pop-up in Chelsea, 9/12

• Blueme Fragrances opens flagship at 259 Elizabeth St. — Grand Opening RSVP, 9/27

• Spray It Loud & Proud — Travaulya Wallace + L’Oréal at Macy’s, 9/27

• Sniffapalooza Greneda Trip, 10/24—10/28

This interview is part of a new Perfumeverse NYC series called Beyond the Bottle. In these interviews, we explore the notes, noses, and narratives of the fragrance world for your scented pleasure.

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On a humid Friday the 13th in Brooklyn this past June, I found myself sipping a honeydew melon and jasmine tea float, surrounded by mini perfume vials wrapped in crinkled cellophane, like the Laffy Taffy candies I used to hoard as a kid. I didn’t reach for paper blotters or scent bells. Instead, I picked up porcelain swirls shaped like whipped Chantilly cream, so realistic they looked good enough to eat —a clever nod to a gourmand lover’s fantasy. This wasn’t your average fragrance launch—it was a pop-up portal into the whimsical world of Glass Candies, a passion project in ‘liquid gourmands,’ dreamed up by NYC-based designer and food artist Andy Chan and perfumer Bryson Ammons of The Alloy Studio.

Their debut line of five cream soda-inspired scents come in 2ml candy-like vessels, each fizzing with seltzer bubbles, creamy vanilla, and a touch of baking-soda bite—layered with fruits and florals like melon, jasmine, and strawberry matcha. Created in collaboration with Brooklyn’s Lazy Sundaes (known for childhood-inspired drinks from Korea and Taiwan) and Very Cool Ice Cream (a plant-based brand reimagining Asian flavors through rich, nostalgic scoops), the launch paired three floats with matching fragrances, blurring the line between what we wear and what we consume.

Each scent came with an illustrated character card, half art print, half trading card, and a flash of color stamped on the vial’s base. They felt less like samples and more like pocket-sized collectibles: playful, low-key, yet still strangely luxe. But don’t let the playful packaging fool you: Glass Candies is less about sweetness and more about flavor—less about luxury, and more about delight.

For this edition of Beyond the Bottle, Andy and Bryson join us to talk scent as flavor, the rewrite of gourmand, and why even the tiniest vials can hold big, joyful ideas.

What Even Is a Gourmand in 2025?

Traditionally, a gourmand is someone who delights in good food and drink—often to a hearty extent. While the word can sometimes hint at overindulgence, at its core it’s about savoring: the deep appreciation of flavor and the pleasures of the table.

In 2025, the obsession with gourmand fragrances is everywhere. From Perfumetok to think pieces and reddit threads linking the trend to Ozempic culture, and endless debates over who did it first—this category is having a moment. But Glass Candies isn’t joining the wave, its expanding the flavor map. This isn’t the usual vanilla–cake–sugar axis. It’s multi-sensory, culturally expansive, and deeply personal—a challenge to the Eurocentric idea of what a gourmand “should” be.

For Andy Chan, the brand’s visual and conceptual force, the goal is a world built on “delightful moments with every presence.” The name Glass Candies itself came from a simple realization: 2ml vials looked like tiny, precious candies. And if you grew up anywhere near a bodega, the impulse to grab a handful of treats just to try them all will feel instantly familiar.

"Accessibility with collectability," Andy says. "Like a buffet or a patisserie, I want to be able to taste everything."

How do you define a gourmand in 2025? What makes a good gourmand modern?

AC: Gourmand shouldn’t be confined to cake and cream. It can be herbal, savory, floral, even fermented. We’re not chasing “modern” gourmands—that word already feels like a timestamp. Instead, we’re reminding people that gourmand has always been global, timeless, and delicious.

For me, it’s about edible delights from all cultures. As a Vietnamese person, I grew up with edible aromatics: jasmine coconut pandan sticky rice in banana leaves, floral and green yet absolutely gourmand. I once smelled an “herbaceous” Jo Malone and thought, this is basically a Chinese steamed bun! Osmanthus, wheat, barley—delicious. When a friend and I visited Lucky Scent, we realized there were no gourmands that spoke to us as Asians. I told the team (who were thankfully open to it) that gourmand shouldn’t just be sugar, cake, and vanilla. It’s any edible delight, a memory of flavors that connect us. It should reflect the full spectrum of edible experiences.

You come from a world of flavor. What’s your favorite part about the dance between scent and taste?

AC: This is the ethos of Glass Candies. France may have industrialized perfume, but scent has ancient roots in South and Southeast Asia—Vietnam, India, and beyond—the true mothers of incense. When you look, taste, and learn from these cultures, it’s a phantasmagorical sensation: herbs, florals, spices, aromatics that blur taste and smell.

How do you want people to interact with these? Is it more like a perfume, a treat, or a collectible?

AC: All three! One friend displays the character card next to their shiny Charizard Pokémon card, which melted my heart. Others say the scents are playful, wearable, and not too sweet. Whether you wear them, collect them, or just smile while sniffing, the point is joy.

What was the collaboration like between you and Bryson—how did you divide creative roles?

AC: We started brainstorming together, but over time, I became the creative director—developing the characters, world-building, and vision. Bryson brought those stories to life through scent.

BA: Andy has such a vivid inner world and sharp sense of taste. I really just followed his lead on visuals and the whole vibe of Glass Candies. I brought the scent, he brought the world.

How did the idea of ‘liquid gourmand’ evolve into actual scent formulas?

BA: We wanted to stretch what a gourmand could be. Once we landed on cream sodas as the theme, I built a base of vanilla ice cream and fizzy soda, then topped it with different fruits and florals to create flavor-inspired “floats.”

For Strawberry Matcha Cream Soda, I layered in nutty notes to capture matcha’s true umami. Most “matcha” scents miss that nuance—it can go flat or earthy really fast. Getting the balance right was tricky, but essential. (And yes, big difference between brewed green tea and matcha powder!)

Scent and taste both rely on aroma molecules. Were actual drink ingredients part of the olfactory brief?

AC: Half and half. Strawberry Matcha is Lazy Sundae’s top-selling drink, so we made a scent to honor that. Melon Cream Soda also mimics a real-life favorite. Others, like the jasmine and cherry blossom floats, are just my personal fantasies—I wish I could drink them!

These aren’t just drinks, but full-sensory events. What mood or emotion did you want people to feel as they sip and sniff?

AC: Too many products rely on just one sense, and that flattens the experience. I wanted Glass Candies to be multi-sensory. Sight, smell, taste, touch, and soon… sound. My goal is for people to feel engaged, delighted, and fully present in the moment.

What can fans of The Alloy Studio expect from this new line that feels different—or familiar?

BA: Glass Candies shows a different side of my perfumery. Alloy Studio fragrances tend to be bold, complex, even a little weird. These are much more lighthearted, playful, easy to love, and built for pure enjoyment.

Will Glass Candies stay mini, or could we see full-size bottles in the future?

AC: For us, mini is full-size. But we do offer 10ml customs for anyone who wants a little more. One day, when we can move on to custom glass packaging, I already know exactly what it’ll look like. Until then, every bit of support counts.

How do you want people to feel when they wear one of these—cute? chaotic? edible?

AC: Represented. Educated. Expanded. Fun. And always—tasteful.

While the summer floats have melted (but still available to sniff), the brand isn’t stopping there. Their Halloween collection drops this October. Expect the same playful twist on gourmands, but with darker, spookier flavors perfect for the season. Stay tuned, because we’ll be sniffing. 👻

That’s all for today, friends! Have a lovely weekend :)

Thank you for reading, sharing, sniffing, and staying nosey. :) If you enjoyed this, share this with someone who loves ice cream floats. <3

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• Hi friends, it’s Nadia! Today’s newsletter covers things to do—especially sales and pop-ups this weekend, and upcoming events . 💌

• We’re lining up some in-person fun for the fall, including another shot at our day trip to The Maker Hotel and a cozy gathering at the Frick Collection. Stay nosey for updates—and hit reply if you’d like to join in!

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  FRIDAY 8/8 — SUNDAY 8/10:

  • Jo Malone Raspberry Ripple Pop-up in Brooklyn, TODAY until 8PM

  • TreeHut Scrub Pop-up, 8/8—8/9

  • Tocca New York Sample Sale, NOW—8/10

  • Isabel Marant Final Sale, NOW—8/10 (I spy perfume!)

  • Full Moon In-Store Experience at Stéle Mott St., 8/9 3—6PM

  • Sniffapalooza Commodity Store Event, 8/10

  • Ôrəbella x Cha Cha Matcha Collab inspired by the WINDOW2SOUL scent

  • BEYOND NYC~

    • Pearfat Parfum at Squasht, 8/9

  UPCOMING! (SCENT, BEAUTY, SOCIAL)

  • Acne Studios Sample Sale, 8/12—8/17

  • Her Scent of Mystery exhibition at Olfactory Art Keller opens 8/14:
    An exhibition on the rediscovery of the 1960 Smell-O-Vision perfume, originally created for Liz Taylor’s character. Curators Jas Brooks & Tammy Burnstock team up with perfumer to bring the lost scent back to life.

  • Coffee & Candles Workshop in Queens, 8/14

  • Kitsch Hair Perfume Café Pop-up, 8/16—8/17

  • Coffee Party at BARZAKH• CAFÉ, 8/23

  • Origins of American Perfumery (Florals) with Stephen Dirkes, 8/23

  • Intro to Perfumery: A Primer, 8/23

  • POP NOIR: Emerging Black Designer Marketplace, 8/23

  • Incense-Making Workshop, 8/24

  • Perfume-making Workshop, 8/28

  • Candle-pouring Workshop at Lovejoys BK, 8/29

  • Glass Candies Ice Cream Floats x Fragrance collab at Lazy Sundaes (through 8/31)

  IMMERSIVE POP-UPS:

  • Artec House Blooming Wonders

  • Gustav Klimt Experience

  • ARTE MUSEUM Sensory Experience

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  • I’ve got my eye on this supper club collection from Kelly + Jones, which bottled the mood of cocktails at a supper club in your favorite settings, from Camp Negroni to Chardonnay Disco.

  • As well as LOoPHA’s body powder wash in oud+amber, and Odette Parfum’s Cléopâtre Bathing Milk.

  • South Asian–inspired perfumery is quietly making waves, poised to break into both mainstream shelves and trendy indie circles. If you’ve been paying attention, you already know perfumer/founder-led brands like Studio Tanaïs and Anjali Perfumes have been serving bottled magic for years. But keep an eye out — Ruhveda, fresh from Sephora’s latest Accelerate program, claims to craft its fragrances in Kannauj, the once “Grasse of perfumery,” where attar-making traditions run centuries deep. (You’ll be hearing more about Kannauj on Perfumeverse soon.) Rahasya just landed at Stéle, working with Firmenich perfumer Kajal Gujar, while Mitti Parfum, another perfumer/founder-led brand, has been earning rave reviews from the niche fragrance crowd on PerfumeTok. Of course, South Asian–inspired perfumery isn’t new. It’s rooted in centuries of artistry. For generations, South Asian materials, scents, and stories have been bottled, but often by everyone except the people and cultures they came from. As one myself, I’m fascinated to see these creators reclaim and rewrite the narrative—free of stereotypical tropes and celebrating the centuries-old love for fragrance that’s been part of our genetic makeup for so long. Consider this your nudge to book our perfume-and-chai walking tour before everyone’s in on the secret. ;)

That’s all for today, friends! Have a lovely weekend <3

Thank you for reading, sharing, sniffing, and staying nosey. :) If you enjoyed this, share this with someone who doesn’t like matcha. <3

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Hi friends, it’s Nadia! Today’s newsletter is short and sweet and covers upcoming events, fragrance news, & a couple fragrances I’m enjoying. 💌

• SOTD~ Ancients by Studio Tanaïs is my current grounding potion. An aromatic fougère of Kashmiri lavender, pine needle, forest moss, and wet soil. Inspired by California redwoods, it’s dreamy, meditative, and because I’ve never been… maybe a sign I need to book a trip west.

• LOOKING FORWARD TO~ Sahara Song by ROAN Fragrances, a sweet rosy infusion of gunpowder green tea, coconut milk, jasmine, plum —and a hero note of Moroccan mint tea. Sounds like a deliciously refreshing journey.

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  FRIDAY 8/1 — SUNDAY 8/3:

  • Community Beauty Board Game Night in Brooklyn, TONIGHT 8/1

  • Olfactory Art Keller Rise of Medusa Exhibition closes 8/2

  • Artists & Fleas Market in Chelsea and Williamsburg, catch ROAN Fragrances in Chelsea.

  • Gentle Shower Exhibition at Elorea extended until Sept

  • Fragrance Fundamentals: Blending & Dilution Class, 8/2

  • Studio Tanaïs at Trade show Shoppe Object, 8/3—8/5

  • Swaggy Dog Pop-up, 8/2

  • Glendalough Distillery’s Botanicals at Smorgasburg, 8/3

  • Apothékary Cafe Pop-up, 8/3

  UPCOMING! (SCENT, BEAUTY, SOCIAL)

  • The Art of Functional Fragrance with Botanicals Class, 8/7

  • BareMinerals Pop-up at Oases, 8/8

  • TreeHut Scrub Pop-up, 8/8—8/9

  • Sniffapalooza Commodity Store Event, 8/10

  • Virtual Scented Social, 8/10

  • Uno Social Club, 8/12

  • Her Scent of Mystery exhibition at Olfactory Art Keller opens 8/14:
    An exhibition on the rediscovery of the 1960 Smell-O-Vision perfume, originally created for Liz Taylor’s character. Curators Jas Brooks & Tammy Burnstock team up with perfumer to bring the lost scent back to life.

  • Origins of American Perfumery (Florals) with Stephen Dirkes, 8/23

  • POP NOIR: Emerging Black Designer Marketplace, 8/23

  • Japan Village Summer Festival in Brooklyn, 8/23

  • Glass Candies Ice Cream Floats x Fragrance collab at Lazy Sundaes (through 8/31)

  • BEYOND NYC~

    • Pearfat Parfum at Squasht, 8/9

  IMMERSIVE POP-UPS:

  • Artec House Blooming Wonders

  • Gustav Klimt Experience

  • ARTE MUSEUM Sensory Experience

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  • Rare Beauty joins the fragrance game with four layering balms, meant to be worn on their own or layered with their debut EDP. I especially like how the fragrance bottle was designed for loss of dexterity.

  • Aesop’s new fragrance is a celestial amber—based on a shooting star.

  • Unilever opened a Fragrance lab in Connecticut.

  • Phlur has (finally) been acquired.

  • I mentioned Iris Lane in my last newsletter, and looks like PerfumeTok bullied her off instagram. Only time I condone bullying TBH. Nice try, Slate.

  • I don’t know the deal with Ffern, and I know this is probably not how a peach accord is formulated (correct me if I’m wrong) but I have been enjoying their ads, especially this recent one on recreating the ice cream van, Lola. Marketing done right.

  • DEALS~

    • D.S. & Durga Sample Sale

    • Régime des Fleurs Complimentary Duo with Purchase

    • Heretic Frankiscent: Customize Your Own Fragrance Duo

That’s all for today, friends! Have a lovely weekend <3

Thank you for reading, sharing, sniffing, and staying nosey. :) If you enjoyed this, share this with someone who doesn’t like peaches. <3

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Hi friends, it’s Nadia! It’s been awhile and I have missed you all. Today’s newsletter covers upcoming July events, including a olfactory exhibit based on Medusa, & a very important question about what Dexter Morgan would smell like 💌

• 🩸 SOTD: I have a decant of Inexcusable Evil by Toskovat today ready for the Dexter: Resurrection premiere tonight. It has notes of gunpowder, blood, iodine, copaiba balm, guaiac wood, concrete, rain, and incense. As a loooong-time Dexter fan, I’ve been spiraling over one very important question: What would Dexter smell like? By day, I picture something clean and calculated. Citrus, neroli, maybe even a sterile aquatic to match the whole “I’m just an unthreatening blood splatter analyst and I bring donuts on Fridays” vibe. At night maybe something darker. Smoky. Incense. Metallic? Or maybe no scent at all—because why leave a trace? Did Dexter even think about perfume? Huh. That might be the most disturbing part of all.

THIS WEEKEND! (SATURDAY & SUNDAY)

• Rise of Medusa Opening Reception (7/12)
  The Rise of Medusa at Olfactory Art Keller is a scent- and sound-filled plunge into myth, rage, and ecological grief. Artist Goldie Poblador reimagines Medusa not as monster, but as a symbol of female resilience rising from the wreckage of the 2023 oil spill in the Verde Island Passage. Visitors explore the darkened space with flashlights, activating glowing sculptures inspired by rare coral manuscripts. Perfumer created three custom scents, Oil Slick, Dead Coral, and Verde— that accompany three sound sculptures by sound artist and composer Ben Richter. (ON VIEW THROUGH 8/2)

• Stele is having a fun summer event with music, spirits, & gifts (7/12)

• Incense making Workshop (7/12)

• Hydrosol Tasting Workshop (7/12)

• Perfectly Imperfect Summer BBQ Party (7/12)

• MINYZZZ x MUMU BATH Pop-Up (7/12)

• Sol de Janeiro: Badaladô Bloco Party (7/12-7/13)

• Natura Mobile Pop-Up (7/11-7/13)

• Brooklyn Perfume Swap & Sell (7/13)

• Hungry Minds Bookshop Pop-up in Soho (until 7/27)

• Glass Candies Ice Cream Floats x Fragrance collab at Lazy Sundaes (through 8/31)

UPCOMING! (SCENT & MORE)

• Fragrance Futures Salon (Online, 7/15)

• Summer soirée with non-alcoholic brand Norïe: fermented flower sips, and botanicals (7/15)

• Tilted Chair, Perfume & Art Exhibition: A full-day sensory showcase where fragrance meets visual art (7/17)

• New York Adventure Club explores M&S Schmalberg, NYC's Last Custom Fabric Flower Factory (7/17)

• Ayurvedic Skincare Workshop at The Alchemist’s Kitchen (7/25)

• Herbal Smoke Blend Workshop (7/26)

• Citrus Nose Training (ONLINE 7/26)

• ARTE MUSEUM has landed in NYC—and it’s a full-body sensory trip. (PRESALE) This multi-sensory art experience is opening its second location in the U.S., at Chelsea Piers in NYC. The experience includes immersive digital landscapes where light, scent, and sound collide, featuring custom fragrances by Marianne Nawrocki Sabatier and soundscapes by Young-gyu Jang.

IAO (CA), IN-PERSON & ONLINE:

• Industrial: Perfume Accords (ONLINE 7/24)

• IAO Library: The Poetry of Scent (IN PERSON 7/24)

• Meet a Nose: Ernesto Collado, Brava Nariz (ONLINE 7/29)

• Perfumeverse got a shout out in this article about perfume swaps 🥲 (should we host our own?!)

• Avestan’s new boutique on Elizabeth Street is now fully open—and it’s a masterclass in crafting calm within the chaos of NYC. minimal and meditative, it’s worth a slow visit.

• Amouage’s Petite Soho Boutique will be fully open by Fall 2025 👀

• I was recently followed by an “AI perfume influencer” on Instagram dubbed its_irislane, brought to you by Slate Brands (same team behind Tracy Anderson’s fragrance and Brooke Devard’s Naked Beauty scent). And I just have one question: WHY? Who asked for this?? Does she even have a nose?!

• READ: A sharp deep-dive by Arabelle Sicardi on how AI is infiltrating fragrance— plus an ongoing critique by perfumer M. Dougherty. From deepfakes on TikTok to AI-generated artwork and marketing copy, the conversation around AI has been steadily building in indie and niche scent circles. Brands like Generation by Osmo, backed by Google, are pushing AI-led fragrance creation — but many in the community are pushing back. As perfumer Michael Nordstrand puts it: if we don’t interrogate this now, we risk losing control of what scent creation means altogether. If you’re curious to form your own opinion, you can listen further on Smell Ya Later’s chat with Osmo’s Master perfumer Christopher Laudamiel.

• In big beauty news, Ulta Beauty acquires SPACE NK.

• What does the Glossier x Magnolia Bakery banana pudding Balm Dotcom smell like?

• I might not wear crocs, but I might have to get this Touchland x Crocs collab.

• In The New Yorker, Margaret Talbot profiles scent artist Tasha Marks, who collaborates with museums to reimagine history through smell. From medieval dry shampoo and musky-heavy breath fresheners at the British Library to even a “stinke” inspired by the Devil himself and Versailles masquerades, Marks blends historical research with olfactory artistry to create immersive, emotional experiences. Her work—part science, part storytelling—reminds us how powerfully scent can resurrect memory, spark connection, and challenge traditional museum exhibitions. A great read on how smell is slowly becoming a new frontier in museum curation and how Marks is leadng it with a touch of theatrical flair. (READ MORE)

That’s all for today, friends! Have a lovely, smelly weekend!
x
Nadia

Thank you for reading, sharing, sniffing, and staying nosey. :) If you enjoyed this, share this with someone who hasn’t heard of Perfumeverse! <3

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Hi friends, it’s Nadia! I’ve been MIA the last month due to some unexpected health issues. I’ve missed you all and appreciate your patience! Today’s newsletter is short and sweet and covers upcoming events and fun collabs. 💌

• Soma Ayurvedic Pop-up at Sora Boutique, 6/13

• Not-A-Normal Summer Show, 6/13—6/15

• There’s still tickets left for Fior di Latte: a Tribeca Film Festival comedy exploring the power of escapism of scent. 6/15 (review coming soon!)

• Fifth Avenue Blooms Brand Activations through 7/6

• Volatile Derivatives at Olfactory Art Keller: Thirteen artists remix iconic perfumes through scent-based homage, parody, and reinterpretation. Reception 6/14 from 3–6pm; on view until 6/21

• Sniffapalooza x Mizensir x Descendant of Thieves Event 6/14

• Father’s Day Cologne-Making at Poem NYC 6/15

• A playful scent adventure for kids (ages 3–10) and their grown-ups, featuring story-time, potion-making, and real perfumers. 6/18

• The Raconteur Launch at Stéle 6/18

• Kismet Olfactive event at Stéle 6/20

• Parfums Obim Fragrance Release Party 6/21

• Art & Aroma at the Met with Jessica Murphy 6/21

• Commodity SOHO Masterclass led by perfumer Nathalie Benareau 6/26

• Summer Sip & Pour (BYOV): Pour your own luxury candle into a vessel you bring at Element Brooklyn’s scent bar, 6/26

• Fragrance Alliance Network

  • MATERIAL MODULE: Balsamic 6/13, 6–8pm

  • FOUGÈRE ACCORD 6/14, 11am–1pm

  • AMBER ACCORD 6/15, 2–4pm

  • FRAGRANT EXPLORATIONS: Severance 6/20, 6–8pm
    A scent-driven dive into the strange, sterile world of Severance—pairing fragrance with emotion and theme.

  • INTRO TO GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY 6/21, 1–4pm
    Get behind the scenes of perfumery’s top analytical tool (GC & mass spec) for creative formulation.

  • STRAWBERRY ACCORD 6/22, 6-8pm

• BEYOND NYC

  • Trunk Show ft. Jazmin Sarai - LA 6/13

  • Clue Perfumery - Chicago Event 6/15

  • Elorea Nostalgia Exhibition - LA 6/19

UPCOMING JULY EVENTS

• Art and Aroma at the Met: The Roaring '20s (and '30s) with Jessica Murphy 7/12

• Tilted Chair, Perfume & Art Exhibition: A full-day sensory showcase where fragrance meets visual art. 7/17

• Amouage’s Petite Soho Boutique will be fully open by Fall 2025 👀

• Aesop’s Queer Library returned this June, celebrating language as resistance, refuge, and radical joy—offering free books at select stores while supplies last.

• Dedcool x Erewhon’s smoothie collab includes earl grey and dates

• Art & Olfaction Award winners include Bad Lily by Tale Parfum, nosed by NYC’s own Michael Nordstrand.

• Fragrance Foundation Awards crowned After Sun by Vacation (developed by Carlos Huber & Rodrigo Flores-Roux).

• Adidas has joined the fragrance chat with five “mood-boosting” hair & body mists. Scents include Dream Glaze: warm, indulgent, and comforting, with golden hazelnut, cocoa fudge, rose, and sandalwood. Chill Zone: peaceful and serene, blending lavender, vanilla, vetiver, eucalyptus, and wormwood. Happy Feels: joyful and zesty, with grapefruit zest, jasmine tea, kiwi, orange, and cedarwood.

• Scentbird has partnered with Broadway’s The Picture of Dorian Gray on a limited-edition fragrance capsule. The collection explores themes of beauty, identity, and temptation through ten curated scents: Libertine by The Maker, Dos Mil Años by Eauso Vert, Nosferatu by Heretic, Fatale Rose by Philipp Plein, Role Play by Malo, Passion by Onno, Black Magenta by D.S. & Durga, After Hours by Antica Farmacista, Blue Talisman by Ex Nihilo, and Duke by Harlem Perfume Co.

• Portrait to Perfume: Madame X by Pura at The Met
  Pura and Givaudan’s Olivia Jan bring Madame X to life in scent—think violet, leather, saffron, and sandalwood. A scandalous floral for art lovers with edge.

• A Cult Fragrance Meets Crown-Worthy Haircare
  Crown Affair x D.S. & Durga turns hair oil into a fragrance ritual with I Don’t Know What. A woody-fresh veil of vetiver and sandalwood that moves with you.

• NOSEGRAB: A Scent for the Skaters (SOLD OUT!)
  NOSEGRAB is the latest scent from Pearfat Parfum, created in collaboration with Dirt and Simple Magic as part of the Sensuous Skateboarding series. Inspired by scraped knees, curbside violets, paraffin wax, and post-spliff sweat, it captures the physical grit and emotional nostalgia of skate culture. Built with fantasy notes of metal and resin, NOSEGRAB invites skaters, ex-skaters, and skate-admirers alike to smell the poetry of pavement, memory, and motion.

That’s all for today! Thank you for reading, sharing, sniffing, and staying nosey.

x
Nadia

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Hi friends, it’s Nadia! Today’s newsletter covers May events, a new series on perfume launches, and some fun collabs with NYC-based brands!

• Toskovat Launch Event at Stéle (5/2)

• Apotheke Warehouse Sale in Brooklyn (5/3-5/4)

• Sniffapalooza Fragrance Fete at New London Pharmacy (5/3)

• Hoboken Artisan Market (5/4)

• Floral ‘Downtown Abbey’ mannequins on display at Hudson Yard (until 5/4)

• Beauty Pop-ups Galore this weekend

  • NĒMAH Pop-up (131 Greene Street) 5/2 - 5/4

  • Bobbi Brown Sweet Cheeks (184 7th Ave.) 5/3 only

  • Clarins Lip Bar (262 Mott St.) until 5/4

  • Sisley Paris Color Cloud (652 Hudson St.) until 5/4

  • Versace Coffee & Candy Cart (111 Greene St.) until 5/7

• Made in NYC Week (5/1 — 5/9)
  Celebrate the makers shaping the soul of the city. This annual series shines a spotlight on the talent, creativity, and craftsmanship driving NYC’s vibrant manufacturing scene. From pop-ups to workshops, explore the full lineup of events here!

• Smell Ya Later Scent Swap – Brooklyn (5/7)

• Mother’s Day Pop-Up at Aesop (5/8–5/11)
  Pastries, sourdough, ube, gift wrap, and first look at Eleos Body Cleanser—at select NYC locations in partnership with Kindred Bakery.

• Mother’s Day Candle Workshop @ Fragrance Alliance (5/9)

• Craft & History of Incense at Maum (5/10)

• Mother's Day Sensory Spring: Sips, Scents & Blooms (5/10)

• Hand-crafted Incense Workshop (5/16)

• Art & Aroma @ The Met: France in the 1700s (5/17)

• 🕸️ Irina Adam (Phoenix Botanicals) at Byrdcliffe A.i.R. (until 5/25): A study in texture, quiet power, and how scent can hold memory. Perfumer, artist, and scent-forager Irina Adam is part of the 2025 Artist-in-Residence exhibition at the historic Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild. Her contribution, Arachne (Spiderwebs after Rain), is a multidisciplinary work—a photograph and a natural perfume, both inspired by autumn mornings in a drought-thinned creek near the colony. The scent captures the ephemeral beauty of mist-draped spiderwebs and wet meadow air: ginger lily, saffron, sweet clover, oak leaf, iris root, and sweet flag, many foraged directly from the land.

• 📅👃🏽 The Complete Scent Week LA Itinerary (5/24 — 6/1)

• ScentXplore returns Dec 4-6!

• SIDIA x Hotel Chelsea debut MUSE. Following last year’s success of Saucy candle x Don Angie, SIDIA returns with a collaboration with Hotel Chelsea’s Spa-in-the-Sky, with notes of mandarin flower, vanilla orchid, and vetiver, crafted for modern rituals of restoration and creative clarity.

• Mountain Dew x Blind Barber has bottled Baja Blast—literally! Earlier in April, the brands dropped two bold body sprays (one Baja Blast, one Baja Cabo Citrus) exclusively on TikTok Shop (now sold out). But the citrus-fueled collab lives on: a limited-edition shower set is available for pre-order now on Blind Barber’s site. The Baja Blast Beach Bound set includes a tropical lime-scented moisturizer, exfoliating bar, and shampoo bar—all designed to turn your bathroom into a soda-scented oasis.

• A Ritual in Light & Spice, from Italy

  • WA:IT Botanical Fragrances just dropped two new scents, each crafted as a sensory ritual rooted in nature, intention, and emotional renewal. I had the pleasure of testing both. LUCE (‘light’ in Italian) is ethereal: it opens with bright bergamot and star anise, softens into neroli and rose, then dries down into warm vanilla, tonka, and amber. It felt like sunlight on skin: clean, centered, and a little sensual. The limited-edition cap doubles as an incense holder, which is a thoughtful, beautiful touch. I loved it on blotter. But AKA (‘red’ in Japanese)… That one chose me. It opens with grapefruit, pink pepper, and saffron—juicy, spicy, alive. On my skin, it settled into frankincense, cypress, and musk. The longer I wore it, the more it felt like it was giving me something I didn’t know I needed: calm, balance, maybe even direction. It’s meant to channel new energy, and I felt that. I kept going back to it. You can sample both at Oases NYC’s shopping bazaar.

• A Juicy Postcard from Mérida 🌴

  • Arquiste is dropping a new fragrance, inspired by a modernist villa wrapped around a pool and garden in Mérida, Yucatán—where the air is thick with palm fronds, heady florals, and ripe, jammy guava in a garden so lush it feels like the jungle moved in. Tropical, brought to life by Rodrigo Flores-Roux, is a rich, humid take on tropical fruits, flowers, and woods. It’s dense, indulgent, and sticky. Inspired by Carlos Huber’s own home (yes, you can rent it), Tropical promises to be paradise, bottled. (pre-order: $225)

• Scent of a Siren, bottled 🎤

  • Harlem Perfume Co. dropped Eartha, a bold tribute to the legendary Eartha Kitt. Crafted with her daughter, Kitt Shapiro, and perfumer Catherine Selig, it’s seductive, elegant, and unapologetically bold. Smoked rose and fiery Sichuan pepper open the scent, softened by golden amber and California lemon. As it settles, the heart unfolds like silk and velvet: French jasmine, labdanum, saffron, and sacred olibanum. The heart unfolds in French jasmine, labdanum, saffron, and sacred olibanum. The dry-down—oud, rosewood, moss—is grounding and rich. Selig describes it as “channeling Eartha’s essence through generations.” Eartha is no imitation. It’s a legacy in bloom. ($140)

• Chaos, Bottled—and Worn Like Your Favorite Hoodie

  • Rite of Way, the new Brooklyn-based fragrance brand from Alex Brands (Madhappy, Gin Lane), rethinks scent not as beauty, but as wardrobe.
    The debut fragrance, Outer Realm, was created with perfumers Michael Nordstrand (Mythologist Studio) and Joey Rosin (Hoax Parfum) and designed to feel more like an outfit than a product—a piece you throw on to become the version of yourself you need to be that day. The star note is incense—bold, kinetic, and spiritual—lifted by citron, sea salt, juniper leaf, and saffron. As it settles, amber and cedarwood smolder in the background, giving it that “I’m about to start something” energy. It's hype-up perfume meets mood ritual. Outer Realm is available now ($188).

• A Golden Scent Spun 🍯

  • Amphora Parfum’s latest drop, Honeycakes, is a spicy gourmand that opens with sticky honey, mulling spices, and a soft hit of nectarine: steamy and sweet, but not soft. The heart melts into brigadeiro, toasted acorn, and sweet plum, then sinks into a smoky, sultry dry-down of blond tobacco, patchouli, sandalwood, and dark musk. Inspired by Noah’s quiet rituals: “the moments I savor when the world feels hopeless; long autumn walks with my mom, searching for delicacies, stopping for coffee to warm our hands.” Honeycakes reminds me of a buttery treat on a crisp morning. Dense, cozy, and quietly indulgent. Like an amber velvet robe you never want to take off. ($150)

That’s all for today, friends! Have a lovely, sunny, scented weekend!

x
Nadia

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Hi friends, it’s Nadia! Today’s newsletter covers upcoming May events & lots of fun perfume news. I swear I spotted Ben Gorham in the streets of Nolita last week, and if I had known he would releasing a $3,300 candle warmer, I would have absolutely chased him (or his doppelgänger) down said streets and had words.

🫶 Follow @perfumeversenyc + @newyorknose for all things olfactory. We host perfume & tea walking tours, meetups, and more. It’s your local, friendly sniff club.

Know someone with a good nose and a heart for community? We’re looking for a summer intern (marketing, editorial, community). Email us if that’s you or someone you know.

UPCOMING THIS WEEK/END (4/25—4/30)

• Amphora Parfum Honeycakes Launch at Stéle (Nolita - 4/25)

• A Luxurious Night of Art & Fragrance (4/25)

• Wax & Wine: Spring Candle Making (4/26)

• Spring Picnic: Y-Dimension (4/26)

• Avenue Vintage Market (4/26)

• Red Fruits Smell Club with Emma Vernon (4/27, 4/30)

• Scent Lending Library, an immersive installation at Olfactory Art Keller that invites you to explore scent like books in a library.

UPCOMING MAY SCENT EVENTS

• Made in NYC Week (5/1 — 5/9)
  Celebrate the makers shaping the soul of the city. This annual series shines a spotlight on the talent, creativity, and craftsmanship driving NYC’s vibrant manufacturing scene. From pop-ups to workshops, explore the full lineup of events here!

• Sniffapalooza Fragrance Fete at New London Pharmacy (5/3)

• Smell Ya Later Scent Swap – Brooklyn (5/7)

• Spring Lecture by American Society of Perfumers – Montclair, NJ (5/7)

• Mother’s Day Candle Workshop @ Fragrance Alliance (5/9)

• Custom perfume-making for dog moms (5/9)

• Mother's Day Sensory Spring: Sips, Scents & Blooms (5/11)

• Pour Some Love: Candle Making (5/10)

• Art & Aroma @ The Met: France in the 1700s (5/17)

SCENT WEEK (LOS ANGELES) & IAO ONLINE

Scent Fair LA returns May 30–June 1, 2025 at folk art museum Craft Contemporary as part of Scent Week Los Angeles—a vibrant celebration of global, indie, and experimental perfumery. Produced by the Institute for Art and Olfaction and Darin Klein & Friends, this hybrid fragrance fest-meets-art fair features conceptual scent makers, hands-on workshops, parties, and more.

📅👃🏽 The Complete Scent Week LA Itinerary (5/24 — 6/1)

IAO Online:

• Eleven Week Perfume Materials Course - Online, IAO (5/6-7/22)

• Tuberose Perfume Accords - Online (5/15)

• Fig Perfume Accords - Online (5/22)

NEWS & NOTES

• Billie just dropped a wild new campaign in NYC: scratch-and-sniff armpits on the street. Yes, you can literally sniff Coco Villa deodorant on a billboard—but does it mask the chaotic beauty that is the scent of New York City?

• Premiering at Tribeca next month, Fior di Latte follows a perfume-huffing playwright chasing memories as he spirals out of control (sounds like someone we all know?)

• Stéle dropped 115 perfumes (!!) as part of a new in-store and online collection—featuring a tidal wave of indie brands from across the globe. Highly recommend walking into their Nolita shop and sniffing your way through gems like Siam1928, Voyager, Toskovat, CLST Perfumes, Agar Olfactory, Vyrao, and more.

• Sol de Janeiro becomes Coachella’s first-ever official fragrance partner—because what’s more festival-core than smelling like sunshine and salted caramel? At the heart of the collab was Casa Cheirosa, a 30×30-foot sensory playground: a vibrant oasis where festival-goers could cool off, get spritzed, and soak up the festival. Guests journeyed through six immersive zones that celebrated each scent, featuring interactive layering rituals, personalized perfume moments, and a spotlight on the iconic Cheirosa 62.

• Interesting read on how beauty (and fragrance) brands are leaning into food for a full-on multi-sensory marketing moment.

• Ripple+ Home taps further into the scent scene with its new reed diffuser collection: six aromas designed for chic city dwellers.

• A slice of nostalgia you can light—this limited-edition Prinsesstårta candle from Flamingo Estate blends marzipan, lemon sponge, and musky amber in a sweet tribute to mothers (and cake!) … Imagine this AND Almond Suede?

• Byredo just dropped Infra Luna 2.0 (who else missed 1.0?) — a candle-warming lamp that doubles as a high-design object and runs a cool $3,300. Designed with Benoit Lalloz, this halogen-heated sculpture melts your favorite Byredo candle. Inspired by insect hues and first seen at Matter and Shape in Paris, it’s now part of the Byredo Byproduct line.

• Can You Smell Design? (Apparently, Yes.) Design doesn’t just package scent, it prepares you for it. In this dreamy deep-dive by It’s Nice That, brands like D.S. & Durga, Clue, Oddity, and Ormaie show how visual identity, art direction, and even typefaces can evoke a scent before you smell it. Through surreal imagery, storytelling symbols, and sensory-coded caps, design becomes a bridge between the seen and the smelled. The takeaway? You can’t see scent, but with the right visuals, you might just feel like you can.

• Speaking of design… Boy Smells recently unveiled a major rebrand, dramatically altering its copy and visual identity—trading in the brand’s original queer-forward messaging for a sleeker, Gen Z-oriented look. Daisy Alioto, of Dirt didn’t hold back: “The Temufication of an already Targetified indie brand. Little pearlescent ELF bars for TikTok influencers to click their nails against.” Ouch.

• According to Puck, the Boy Smells 2.0 overhaul was driven by pressure to reverse declining sales and championed by Sephora—effectively making the indie brand a Sephora “pet project.” But as The Cut notes, many longtime fans are uneasy: the new packaging and sugary scent names feel like a step away from the brand’s inclusive, “genderful” roots, with concern over the quiet scrubbing of its once-bold queer-coded messaging. Boy Smells maintains it’s still queer-owned and says the rebrand led to its best sales week in four years—but the response underscores the deeper tension between mass appeal and staying rooted in community. I have not smelled enough Boy Smells to form a cohesive opinion, but as everything else—nothing good lasts forever.

That’s all for today, friends! Have a lovely, sunny, scented weekend!

x
Nadia

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Hi friends, it’s Nadia! I’ve missed you. Today’s newsletter is packed, with good stuff brewing—from a scent lending library (!!) to the fragrance house that patented instant coffee, plus April events to keep your calendar (and nose) full.

🫶 Follow @perfumeversenyc + @newyorknose for all things olfactory. We host NYC’s first perfume & tea walking tours, meetups, and more. It’s your local, friendly sniff club.

Know someone with a good nose and a heart for community? We’re looking for a summer intern (marketing, editorial, community). Email us if that’s you or someone you know.

THIS WEEKEND:

• Scent Lending Library opens at Olfactory Art Keller: 100 scents you can sniff and borrow. 100 scents you can sniff and borrow. An immersive installation by Donna Lipowitz that invites you to explore scent like books in a library. (4/12, 4-6pm)

• Herbal Bath Bomb Making Workshop (4/12)

• Perfume-Making Class with Leonora Zoninsein (4/13)

• Custom Fragrance Making Event (4/13)

UPCOMING APRIL & MAY EVENTS:

• 100 Years of Blindness: A Scented Performance Lecture on Photography by Leona Godin at Olfactory Art Keller (4/15)

• Fragrance Appreciation for Curious Beginners (4/17)

• Aromatherapy Workshop (4/17)

• Fragrance & Financial Wellness Workshop (4/18)

• Fragrance & Society: Sex S(m)ells (4/19)

• Diana Mahrach Couture Fragrance Launch (4/23)

• Perfume Workshop (4/24)

• Tarot & Tea ‘Tinis at Maraschino NYC (multiple dates)

• House of Iyrah Fragrance & Networking Event (4/25)

• Art & Aroma Gallery Tour at the Met (4/25)

• Floral Creation Workshop (4/30)

BEYOND NYC:

• Dedcool Mochi Milk Run, LA (through 4/13)

• MOROCCANOIL L'ORIGINALE pop-up, LA (through 4/18)

NEWS & NOTES

• Susan Alexandra, the quirky, New York City-based accessories and jewelry brand, is dropping a fragrance … and LAFCO is developing their first fine fragrance collection.

• There’s now a new fragrance inspired by Patrick Bateman—yes, that Patrick Bateman. The scent, created by Milan-based brand 19-69, is the first in a planned series of perfumes based on Bret Easton Ellis novels. According to their site, it’s meant to evoke Bateman’s “vanity rituals, fine sparkling water, icy sorbet, and Wall Street in the 1980s.” (Make of that what you will.) Notes of bergamot, jasmine, and cedarwood make it sound a little more refined yuppie than deranged killer. Fun fact: When Ellis actually wrote American Psycho, he was wearing Ralph Lauren Polo Green, not sorbet.

• This isn’t Bateman’s first olfactive appearance. Back in 2023, Austin-based brand Xyrena released American Psycho, a scent that leaned fully into the chaos. It has notes of sorbet, chardonnay, and an herbal-mint facial mask accord, followed bySichuan pepper, cardamom, bloody metallic ambroxan, crème brûlée (from Dorsia, obviously), and premium cigar tobacco. Because of course.

🔍 INSIDE ROBERTET

A few weeks ago, I got invited to something special: the grand opening of Robertet’s new Creative Center in NYC, marking 175 years of fragrance innovation. I’ve been to a lot of events, but this one felt like a true behind-the-scenes pass into the world of raw materials, perfumer’s tools, and scent storytelling. Luxe, immersive, and quietly magical.

The new space, located on East 60th St., is a gorgeous blend of lab, gallery, and sensory lounge. Shelves were lined with familiar perfumes, ones you’d recognize from store counters, but right next to them were mods: early versions of fragrances laid out for tweaking and testing. I love seeing how the magic gets made, and this felt like peeking into the sacred notebooks of perfumers.

Robertet might be one of the most influential fragrance houses that defines quiet luxury, and artisanal creation. As the global leader in natural raw materials, they've been distilling naturals since 1850, supplying ingredients to icons like Guerlain and Chanel—and they literally patented instant coffee back in 1880. Yes, they’re the OGs of café culture and perfumery.

The event was a celebration of French savoir-faire. There was a photo exhibit by Stéphane Martinelli, live music by French singer Dolly Lowe, and a curated immersive scent experience built around Robertet’s new ICONS 175 series.

When you stepped out of the elevator, a whiff of rose vines hit you, bright and citrusy. The Rose 175 blend by perfumer Elena Valdivieso-Ruiz, was crafted around the Centifolia rose, paired with zesty bergamot and juicy passionfruit. In the library space, guests discovered Mimosa 175, a radiant mimosa scent, surrounded by vibrant yellow blooms and a lemon tree. Another creation by Elena, it celebrated Provence-sourced mimosa in all its shimmering, powdery glory.

You know I’m all about immersion so my favorite bits were the scent booths. Guests were guided through three immersive scent booths designed by perfumer Jérôme Epinette.

• Coffee 175: Resinous, dark, comforting; a nod to their café instantané patent

• Iris 175: Celebrating one of their most prized naturals, this is moody iris with frankincense, patchouli, and rose; elegant, earthy, and quietly stormy

• Tonka 175: A warm, cozy scent featuring roasted tonka, pistachio, and vanilla—sourced via their CleanRScent™ sustainability program.

We left with fresh-cut iris bouquets and mini perfumes from the ICONS series (which I have been layering with the last few weeks)—small tokens from a house that’s shaped scent history in quiet, powerful ways.

Jérôme Epinette’s style has always struck me as clean, emotive, and atmospheric. His fragrances often feel like an airy memory. That made his creation for the evening, Iris 175, feel especially fitting. It was moody, elegant, and utterly rain-soaked in spirit: a velvety iris laced with frankincense, earthy patchouli, and soft rose, like petals after a spring storm. If the month of April could wear perfume, this would be her signature.

Their new NYC center is designed to foster collaboration with indie brands, house their extensive ingredient library, and offer space for olfactive innovation in the heart of SoHo. If you ever wondered where the real fragrance magic happens—this was it.

Speaking of rain, if you’re looking for a Epinette-created perfume that captures that april showers energy, try scents that feel like wet pavement, spring rain, and misty mornings:

Byredo by Byredo – A soft, dewy blend of violet, iris, and fir balsam with a chilly freshness that feels like misty morning rain.
Notes: Gin, Pink Pepper, Iris, Orris, OakMoss, Fir Balsam

Dark Rain by Björk & Berries – Imagine a Scandinavian forest just after rainfall—fresh, woody, and quietly powerful; think wet pavement, amber-lit woods, and that electricity in the air before a storm.
Notes: Ginger, Tangerine, Pettigrain, Geranium, Jasmine, Amber, Vetiver, Cedar

Others not by Epinette >

Karst by Aesop — Salty, mineralic, and windswept. This one channels rain-soaked cliffs, coastal stone, and the coolness of an overcast sky. Sharp at first, then grounding.
Notes: Juniper, Pink Pepper, Rosemary, Sage and Cumin, Vetiver, Sandalwood

Debaser by D.S. & Durga – Not technically a rain scent, but it hits that humid, storm-is-coming energy. Fig and iris meet coconut water in a lush, green, heat-kissed blend that lingers like summer air before a downpour.
Notes: Bergamot, Pear, Fig, Coconut Milk, Iris, Tonka, Moss

Dirty Grass by Heretic — This one's earthy, wet, and quietly trippy. It smells like walking barefoot on damp grass after a summer rainstorm. Vetiver-heavy with a slightly herbal-green haze, and a whisper of hemp that adds to the “after-the-rain” mood. It's grounded, meditative, and a little rebellious—perfect for the moody spring scent lineup.
Notes: Lemon Zest, Pink Pepper, Galbanum, Violet Leaf and Coriander, Vetiver

That’s all for today, friends! Stay dry & have a lovely, scented weekend!

x
Nadia

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The indie fragrance scene has a rebellious heart, and Alie Kiral, the founder of Pearfat Parfum, embodies it with an effortless charm. There are no safe, crowd-pleasing florals or predictably sensual musks in her lineup. Instead, her brand is a surrealist playground, bottling the oddly specific emotions that haunt her brain: A Catholic childhood, lapsed but lingering (Sister Hildegard: church incense, milk, and blood orange). The sweaty, metallic thrill of a pinball machine (Multiball: spilled cola, waxy floors, sparking metal). The kind of heartbreak that lingers longer than it should (I Broke My Own Heart: hot cocoa, jasmine, teenage angst).

Meeting Kiral, you instantly sense the unique energy she infuses into her brand—nostalgic yet bold, playful yet deeply intentional. Pearfat is an extension of Kiral herself: fun, irreverent, and deeply rooted in a love for scent as pleasure.

For her, perfume isn’t about adhering to luxury or tradition. Even the name, Pearfat, is an inside joke; a play on parfait (French for “perfect”) but twisted into something unique, more Midwestern, more Kiral. This ethos is what makes Pearfat Parfum feel deeply personal, even as it pulls from niche film references, historical oddities, and bizarrely fun note combinations.

In today’s Beyond the Bottle, we sat down with Alie Kiral to explore her cinematic approach to scent, building something without a rulebook, and the art of being play in a serious industry.

Instead of building perfumes from notes up, Kiral builds them from the inside out—with a scene, a feeling, a memory that won’t leave her mind. She has what she calls “an unhinged notes app” filled with inspiration: random thoughts, overheard conversations, movies, music, and fleeting smells that refuse to let go. When one of them lingers, she starts building a story around it.

Before she was blending perfumes, Kiral studied cultural anthropology, a field obsessed with how objects hold meaning in different cultures.

”I think this is where that part of my life connects and lends itself to perfumery. I specifically researched and worked with material culture—things people decorated with, used in the home, used for fun—and I think perfume really fits into that idea in a fascinating way. Tying something material and physical to something more abstract—like the mood of a Cronenberg movie or the vibes of an Italian Christmas folk story—into a 4D experience is endlessly inspiring to me.”

Only once she’s seen the perfume—its mood, color, texture—does she start formulating. Her note pairings reflect that approach. Nothing is predictable. Nothing is easy. Stomped on Bed of Lettuce smells like a riot of rhubarb, civet, pink pepper, and saltwater. Inspired by the cult Czech film Daisies (1966), it captures the chaotic, food-fight feminism of its heroines. "Playfulness is everything—it’s a cornerstone," she says.

The Indie Perfumery Renaissance

Kiral didn’t study chemistry or go to perfume school in France. Instead, she found her way into scent through the Institute for Art and Olfaction, where she took an online experimental perfumery class at the start of the pandemic. "It blew my world open," she says. "I realized I didn’t need a legacy family connection—I just needed ideas, practice, and a willingness to experiment." One year later, she released her first fragrance, 2030 Park Avenue.

Kiral is part of a larger wave of independent perfumers redefining what it means to make scent. They didn’t come from Givaudan or Firmenich. They didn’t graduate from ISIPCA. Instead, they carved out their own paths, learning through YouTube tutorials, Basenotes forums, and hours of trial-and-error blending in bedrooms and home labs. As Highsnobiety noted in a recent deep-dive, the next generation of indie noses is here—and they’re rewriting the rules.

Early on, she connected with perfumer Michael Nordstrand of Mythologist, who became a creative sounding board and mentor. The two collaborated on I’ll Never Learn, a fragrance steeped in bittersweet nostalgia. With notes of bergamot, fog, candied violet, suede jacket, and moss, it smells like heartbreak on the back of a borrowed motorcycle jacket—a maudlin pop song cut short by memory. “When I was first starting out, Michael smelled what I was working on and told me I had cool ideas,” she says. “That validation—that I was making something worth smelling—pushed me past imposter syndrome. That meant everything to me.”

That DIY ethos extends to Pearfat’s visual identity, which feels less like a polished ad campaign and more like a cherished mixtape passed between friends. The labels are retro, the sample vials were once handwritten by Kiral herself, and the perfumes feel like deep cuts, obscure references only the right people will get.

"I think people who love Pearfat get that these aren’t everyday scents. They’re meant to be worn when the mood strikes—when you want to step into a scene, embody a feeling, or tap into a different version of yourself."

Pearfat is, in many ways, an autobiographical project made wearable. Rabbit Rabbit is built around the childhood ritual of saying "rabbit rabbit" for luck on the first of the month. Kewpie Doll distills the warmth of an Italian-American grandmother’s back porch—ripe tomatoes, sun-warmed wood, and the sticky sweetness of summer. La Befana nods to the haunted coziness of Italian winter—a softer, sweeter Italian counterpart to Krampus.

But some scents, like Bread and Roses, go beyond personal nostalgia. They carry a larger message for the zeitgeist. Inspired by the early 20th-century labor movement, it embodies the idea that people deserve more than survival—they deserve dignity, beauty, and joy.

The phrase "We want bread, but we want roses, too" became a rallying cry during the 1912 Lawrence textile strike, where thousands of women fought for fair wages and humane conditions. Originally from James Oppenheim’s 1911 poem, it speaks to the need for both sustenance and a meaningful life.

For Kiral, this message resonates deeply. Bread and Roses balances that duality: warm and earthy like fresh-baked bread, yet lifted with delicate floral notes that echo the poem’s call for beauty. A portion of its proceeds goes to the Midwest Access Coalition, which helps individuals access abortion care.

The Art of Community and Collaboration

In an industry where niche brands often operate within their own silos, Kiral takes a refreshingly different approach—one rooted in collaboration over competition. From the start, she’s been open about how much she’s learned from others, and she actively pays that generosity forward. “There’s room for all of us," she says. "The best perfumes come from people being excited about scent together—bouncing ideas off each other and sharing the love of it."

Pearfat has already worked with fellow indie brands like Odette Parfum Co., proving that collaboration fuels creativity in niche perfumery.

Les Chaussons Rouges is inspired by the haunting elegance of The Red Shoes (1948). With notes of saffron, oil paint, red dahlias, ginger caramel, and oud, this woody gourmand conjures the world of a prima ballerina, the scent of pointe shoes on aged theater floors, the warm decadence of spiced bread, and the bittersweet romance of a life devoted to art. (Odette’s founder recently spoke about Kiral’s influence in a Perfume Room episode).

But beyond collaborations, Kiral is committed to fostering a sense of community. She teaches fun-themed workshops, mentors new perfumers, and embraces a no-gatekeeping approach to fragrance. For Kiral, accessibility is key.

Her advice for anyone who wants to start? Start smelling. Start mixing. Start playing. She encourages curiosity, urging people to train their noses by exploring everyday scents—spices, flowers, even the air after it rains—insisting that the more you do it, the better you get. It’s this spirit of openness that makes Pearfat feel less like a brand in the ether and more like a shared creative playground. And judging by its devoted following, Pearfat’s enthusiasm for scent play is contagious.

Above all, Pearfat is about joy. “Perfume is for sweeties and lovers. Smells can be funny—smelling good is an act of pleasure. I remind myself that it's just perfume—it's not that serious. I care deeply about what I do, but I also like to have a good time while I do it.”

You can explore Pearfat's fragrances at pearfatparfum.com and follow along @pearfat.parfum for new releases, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and more scented mischief.

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Hi friends, it’s Nadia! I have missed you all — but the first Q of 2025 is ruining my life and I have not caught a break in being sick! Today’s letter is looong—covering fragrance week in New York, upcoming events, perfume drama, and attending Serviette’s launch event.

FRAGRANCE WEEK ON MADISON AVENUE 📍 March 18 - 23
To celebrate International Fragrance Day (March 21), The Fragrance Foundation and Madison Avenue B.I.D. are launching the first Fragrance Week on Madison Avenue. Luxury boutiques—including Creed, Diptyque, Parfums de Marly, D.S. & Durga, Fueguia 1833, and Granado—will offer exclusive events, immersive scent experiences, and special promotions.

• *THE HIGHLIGHT* A Fragrance Gallery Pop-Up at 924 Madison Ave (73-74 St.), featuring fragrance sampling, perfumer meet-and-greets, and a showcase of this season’s most exciting launches.

• Printemps Opens in NYC! The iconic French luxury department store makes its U.S. debut at One Wall Street, blending Parisian elegance with an immersive shopping experience. Currently in soft opening (10AM-3PM daily); grand opening March 21 at 9AM.

• Perfume Room x Granado Soho (3/18, 6-8PM) Join Emma Vernon for an evening of bites, scents, and 20% off all perfumes in-store & online. (hit reply and RSVP!)

• Not A Normal (Spring) Market (find Tanaïs fragrances there).

• An Evening of Orris Masterclass at Commodity Soho (3/21) Champagne, snacks & a fragrance debate featuring Stephen Nilsen, Emma Vernon, and Vicken Arslanian.

• Aromatherapy, Sensuality & Sexuality (3/21)

• The Art of Functional Fragrance with Botanicals (3/29)

• BONUS WELLNESS EVENT Anima Mundi’s Brooklyn Apothecary is having a hands-on class on Ayurvedic herbs, spices & recipes; Think golden milk, kitchari, ghee & take home a custom tea blend (3/19, 7PM)

  BEYOND NYC:

  • Jazmin Saraï’s 11-Year Celebration (3/21)

  • Scent, crime, and cinema collide in a hypnotic, immersive exhibition with Chloroform Scopolamine, a provocative new fragrance by Lucy Chinen and Sean Raspet, at IAO Gallery (3/22)

  • Experimental Work with Saskia Wilson-Brown, IAO (3/24)

UPCOMING APRIL EVENTS

• It’s never too early to turn your kid into a fraghead. The Fragrance Alliance Network presents Sweet Scents & Stories: A Fragrant Workshop for Young Explorers, a hands-on workshop that blends STEM learning with sensory exploration, teaching kids how scent influences memory, emotions, and creativity. Led by Alexis Wintrob, author and creator of Za Za’s Scent-Sational Super Power. (4/6)

• 100 Years of Blindness: A Scented Performance Lecture on Photography by Leona Godin at Olfactory Art Keller (4/15)

• Fragrance Appreciation for Curious Beginners with (4/17)

NEWS & NOTES

• Susan Alexandra, the quirky, New York City-based accessories and jewelry brand, is coming out with a fragrance… and LAFCO is developing their first fine fragrance collection.

• Dedcool’s Mochi Milk looks tempting.

• PERFUME NEWSPAPER?! Of Immortal Perfumes is launching The Scent Strip, a physical fragrance zine (under $10) packed with reviews, history, art, astrology, and more—because who doesn’t love a little scent-nerd print nostalgia? The English major in me is thrilled, and you might even spot something penned by yours truly.

• Xerjoff x Duran Duran had the ultimate collab.

• Penhaligon’s is set to release another fragrance with King Charles, inspired by the blooms of Highgrove Gardens, following the success of Highgrove Bouquet in 2022. Another royal scent was quietly launched in 2024 and has remains relatively under the radar—Truefitt & Hill’s Highgrove Splash, a woody-citrus cologne inspired by the estate’s Cedar of Lebanon.

• Givaudan collabs with Dole Asia to upcycle unripe bananas.

• Ally Louks accidentally went viral after posting about her PhD on olfactory ethics—a post that ignited a culture war pile-on. Now, she’s joined forces with IAO to help you explore the power of scent and its impact on identity in this 7-week power & politics of smell online lecture series (starting 4/3).

• Osmo has launched Generation, the world’s first AI-powered fragrance house, using olfactory intelligence (OI) to revolutionize perfume creation. Generation is positioning itself as the future of fragrance development, streamlining the process with AI-driven precision and market intelligence. This will push the boundaries of scent creation, making perfume more accessible, efficient, and even sustainable. However, if you thought over-saturation was a problem now, just wait until AI starts churning out hyper-targeted, algorithm-approved scents at record speed. More perfumes, faster development cycles, and endless market predictions could lead to a flood of fragrances designed for trends rather than artistry—raising the question: Will the soul of perfumery get lost in the data?

SNIFFIN’ OUT THE DRAMA:

• Parts of the indie fragrance community were up in arms over Cat Zhang’s article on The Cut critiquing modern perfume culture. I don’t mind a little olfactory outrage, but Zhang’s piece felt more scattershot than scathing—jumping from complaints about long-winded perfume descriptions to capitalism, AI, overconsumption, and the love affair between GLP-1s and gourmands. If she had focused solely on the exhaustion of constant new releases, maybe the piece might’ve hit harder. The real kicker, though, was seeing it as a sponsored post on Instagram—how’s that for capitalism?

• THE TOSKOVAT’ & ATARAXIA FALL-OUT If you missed the latest fragrance world betrayal—here’s the tea. Toskovat’ (David-Lev Jipa-Slivinschi) created Vestibule and Amaretto Jazz for Ataraxia Perfumes expecting a fair profit split through his website. Then, one day before launch, Ataraxia’s founder dropped the launch on his own site, cutting Toskovat’ out. Toskovat’ says he created the perfumes for free, with future profits in mind, but contract talks soured when Ataraxia sent seven drafts, each shifting more control their way. Frustrated, Toskovat’ countered with a 70/30 split in his favor—but Ataraxia moved forward without him. Ataraxia claims they covered all costs and that Toskovat’ refused to pay them for the first batch unless they agreed to his terms. Now, Toskovat’ is dropping the Betrayal Collection: Betrayal 1 (Amaretto), Betrayal 2 (Wasabi Chocolate), Betrayal 3 (Spinal Fluid). OUCH. The lesson here? Get clarity on everything prior to creation. Toskovat’ assumed fairness, but many people have no problem taking someone’s work, running with it, and cashing in. Don’t learn the hard way.

SERVIETTE LAUNCH AT STÉLE: A MASTERCLASS IN TASTE

Serviette quietly launch at Stéle with a private, yet very packed, party at the Nolita location. It is the brainchild of Trey Taylor, a former editor at The Face, Dazed, and Interview, who has now turned his sharp cultural storytelling towards fragrance, launching his debut collection as a self-taught perfumer with training under Marissa Zappas. The brand champions a return to “good taste”—but what does that mean? Taylor spoke about the etymology of serviette vs. napkin, a distinction historically tied to class and status, setting the stage for the brand’s thoughtful, tongue-in-cheek approach to luxury. The event details were immaculate. The air was laced with fresh citrus—like someone was juicing rare, expensive fruits. A five-foot embroidered serviette hung at the entrance, leading to a breathtaking tablescape where each fragrance was presented as a place setting, complete with a menu card and its corresponding hero ingredient.

• Frisson d’Hiver stopped me in my tracks—it was a snow-laced sonata for my nose. Icy citrus softened by florals, evoking a nostalgia I couldn’t quite place but didn’t want to let go of. It’s inspired by walking through the coldest mountains in Canada, with bursts of lily and jasmine surrounding you. Maybe you’re wrapped in a cashmere coat, maybe it’s Canada Goose—either way, you’re crystallized by winter’s sharp bite. It’s impossibly clean, impossibly beautiful. It was fleeting on my skin—but maybe that’s the point.

• Byronic Hero was the beautiful ruin everyone was buzzing about—intense and alluring. You can smell the darkness in it—clove, fir balsam, a hint of diesel exhaust—warmed by a jammy rose oud. It’s magnetic, smoldering, and as rightfully written in the copy, has a “magnificent decay.”

• Ruche was quite the opposite—playful, sweet, full of youthful energy—with a ripe raspberry, fresh galbanum, and a base of creamy sandalwood. It’s a perfect NYC spring scent—think picnics in the park, a basket of pink pepper-dusted fruits—the kind that feel like endless afternoons with friends catching up.

• Sour Diesel is what I wish cannabis in NYC would smell like. The rhubarb slashes through a smoky haze of kush and patchouli, keeping things crisp and botanical rather than overly dank, which I suspect the geranium and juniper are responsible for. The woody dry down gives it a mischievous finish—like a party that has spiraled into the next morning.

Beyond the scents, what lingers most is the thoughtfulness behind Serviette. Hidden in the brand’s logo is de gustibus disputari potest, a play on the Latin de gustibus non disputandum est—"in matters of taste, there can be no disputes." A reminder that taste is as much about perception as possession. When I asked Trey if he had any experience in dining or hospitality, he simply said, “No, just a vision.” And it shows—every detail was executed with precision.

Serviette’s discovery set is available on their website and at Stéle in Nolita and Williamsburg. If you’re craving to be surprised and want something refreshing, refined, and layered, it’s well worth a spritz.

That’s all for today, friends! Stay cozy and HAVE AN AMAAAAZINGLY-SCENTED WEEK!

x
Nadia

Thanks for reading Perfumeverse NYC :) If you enjoyed this, share this with someone who doesn’t know national fragrance day exists. <3

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Hi friends, it’s Nadia! I’m back from my trip and missed you all! Today’s newsletter covers upcoming events, perfumes you can quite literally lick, and fun fragrance news.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• TODAY 2/28

  • KILIAN PARIS FRAGRANCES POP-UP at Macys (12PM-4PM)

  • NATURAL BOTANICAL PERFUMERY with Janine Malina of Black Earth Botanica (6PM-8PM)

  • PERFUME IN ART: Lithuanian artist and FUMparFUM founder Aistis Mickevičius presents Pour Diplomates and explores fragrance as an art form (6PM-8PM)

• MARCH EVENTS

  • "Listen to Your Nose" Challenge (3/4–3/25) A four-week wine aroma training program.

  • Aesop Exclusive Fragrance Workshop for the release of their new EDP, Aurner. RSVP here. (3/6 and 3/7 at multiple locations).

  • Funny Pretty Nice Vintage Market (3/16) and Not A Normal Market (3/23)

  • Tickets to Sniffapalooza Spring Fling are now open! (4/5)

  • An Evening of Orris Masterclass at Commodity Soho (3/21)
    Champagne, snacks & a showdown as Stephen Nilsen (The Maker), Emma Vernon (The Lover), and Vicken Arslanian (The Hater) debate the return of Orris from their archives.

  • Art & Aroma at The Met: France in the 1700s (3/21)
    A sensory journey through 18th-century France, blending history, art, and perfume. Expect notes of powdered wigs, aristocratic excess, and maybe a little scandal.

  • BEYOND NYC: Jazmin Saraï’s 11-Year Celebration (3/21)
    Join Dana El Masri at Kismet Cazimi Studio for an intimate, multi-sensory evening of scent, sound, and nostalgia, featuring every perfume since 2014 (yes, Solar’1 too).

    Fragrance Alliance Network:

    • Intro to Perfumery: A Primer (3/1)

    • Fragrant Explorations: Twin Peaks (3/14)

    • Aromatherapy Fundamentals: A Hands-On Workshop (3/15)

    • The Art of Functional Fragrance with Botanicals (3/29)
      

  📌 WHAT DID WE MISS? If you know of any other must-attend fragrance events this month, hit reply and let me know!

NEWS & NOTES

• Highsnobiety Beauty Editor Alexandra Pauly is launching a luxury pet beauty brand, Biche, this fall—expect scent-forward storytelling and rituals designed for animals and their lovers.

• L’Oréal expands its luxury fragrance portfolio—confirming its acquisition of a minority stake in Amouage, the Omani fine perfumery house valued at over €3 billion, while BOLD backs Korea’s BORNTOSTANDOUT to fuel its U.S. and European expansion.

• Juliette Has a Gun is releasing their first true gourmand—a strawberry milkshake-inspired scent aptly named Miami Shake, featuring ripe wild strawberries, musky whipped cream, and vanilla.

• Givaudan is bringing scent to the metaverse.

• Their new Roblox game, Guardians of Memories, lets Gen Z and Gen Alpha restore lost memories through fragrance, blending education with adventure. Who knew sniffing could be the next big quest?

• Look back at Diptyque Orphéon’s pop-up event full of cobalt blue and jazz. They also added a different immersive exhibition in Paris and London.

• Smell Ya Later talked to the founders of Scent of Connection, a London-based collective using scent-based matchmaking to prove that chemistry is more than just a metaphor.

• did a deep dive on the Pyrfume Project, exploring how open-source fragrance data is shaping the future of scent, science, and speculative futures.

• Scently Speaking is creating its first community-shaped fragrance. Join the March 6th online session to share your scent memories and inspirations for Reflection, and you might just help shape the final scent—plus, select contributors get a bottle.

Edible Fragrance: Because Why Just Smell Delicious?

Smelling like a snack just got literal. Brands are taking gourmand scents into actual, edible territory.

• 🍨 Salt & Straw’s culinary perfumes — spritz before you scoop.

• 🌶️ Haute Sauce Beauty’s food-grade perfumes — dab and taste.

• 🍰 Amoretti’s dessert sprays — vanilla bean perfume on your latte?

• Would you try an edible fragrance? Reply and let me know if this is genius or just too weird?

Smell Your Way Through Ancient Egypt

The Egyptian Museum in Cairo just wrapped up a history lesson you could actually smell with its exhibition: "Perfumes of Ancient Egypt Through Ages." Running from December 1, 2024 – February 28, 2025, the immersive journey explored how Ancient Egyptians used fragrance in daily life, religious rituals, and beauty practices—because they definitely understood the power of smelling divine.

Visitors were treated to artifact eye candy from the Pharaonic era to Arab times, plus VR magic that transported them to a perfumed past. Guests walked through an embalming chamber, visited a temple making an offering to Osiris, and stepped into a fragrant lotus garden—and, yes, they actually got to smell what the ancients smelled. The exhibit also explored Egypt’s ancient fragrance trade, showcasing exotic resins from the legendary Land of Punt (because rare perfumes were flexes even back then).

This was one of those scratch-and-sniff history lessons that truly brought the past to life—because if there’s one thing Ancient Egypt did best, it was leaving a lasting impression, scent included.

Wish you were in Cairo? Luckily, you can still get a taste (or rather, a whiff) of Ancient Egypt right here in NYC with the Horizon of Khufu VR experience, now open at 555 West 57th Street. Step inside a hyper-realistic journey through King Khufu’s pyramid, trek the dunes, and uncover the secrets of the pharaohs—all without leaving the city.🏺✨

That’s all for today, friends! Stay cozy, stay scented, and Happy Ramadan! 🌙✨

x
Nadia

Thanks for reading Perfumeverse NYC :) If you enjoyed this, share the gourmand fragrances mentioned with someone who is fasting, hehe. <3

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Hi friends, it’s Nadia! Today’s newsletter covers upcoming events, an affordable valentine’s day gift guide (including perfume and non-perfume!) and all about looove. I’m going to be away in the Middle East half of February — but I will absolutely think of you all as I smell beautiful things, and will return with some new gems from the region of the world that loves all things fragrance! Stay warm x

UPCOMING EVENTS

• 🖼️ Really Bad Portraits V-Day Card Making at D.S. & Durga, Brooklyn (2/8, 2PM-6PM)

• 💘 Valentine’s Matchmaker Bazaar at Grand Bazaar (2/9, 10AM-5PM

• 💘 Stéle Williamsburg V-Day Event (2/11, 6-8PM, Bedford Ave.)

• 💘 Multi-Sensory Event at Sue Phillips Fragrance Boutique (2/12, 6:30PM-8PM)

• 🎤 Perfume Room’s LIVE taping of the fragrance dating show (2/15, 4-5:30PM)

• The Creators Series celebration at Fragrance Alliance Network, featuring perfumer Pierre Bénard Segu presenting his new fragrance, Lilith, Sombre Héroïne(2/15, 7-9PM)

• Stéle NoLita Andrea Maack Flux Launch (2/17, 6-8PM, Mott St

• 🧪 Aphrodisiacs & Love Potions: Botanical Mixology at The Alchemist’s Kitchen (2/21, 6:30PM-8PM)

• 🕯️ Wicks & Wine: Candle-Making at Hidden Grounds Coffee & Chai House (2/22, 6-8PM)

BEYOND NYC

• 🌹 A Genealogy of Rose Perfumes, by Dana El-Masri at IAO (2/12, 5PM)

• LA: Viscose Journal (Scent) Launch Party (2/13, 6-8PM)

• 🌹 JUSBOX Perfumes Carioca Heart Pop-up at Parfums Raffy (2/14)

NEWS YOU MIGHT’VE MISSED:

• Apparently these niche fragrance brands are the ones to watch in 2025, according to Business of Fashion.

• Have you checked out Flamingo Estate’s pop-up in Bloomingdale’s on 59th? Looks gorgeoussss. Check out it before April!

• The Frick Collection is finally re-opening on April 17!

• Did you guys catch PHLUR’s new ✨Golden Rule✨ at the Golden Globes last month?

• Vacation dropped an Orange Gelee SPF Spray and Whipped Gold Shimmer with their classic scents.

• Snag Soma Ayurvedic’s Jasmine Body Oil ($128) for 25% off! (CODE: BEMINE).

• Laneige x Boy Smells collab on a Vanilla & Cream Bundle: Cream Skin Toner, Vanilla Lip Sleeping Mask, Lip Glowy Balm, and Boy Smells Vanilla Era Mini Votive Candle.

• Matiere Premiere’s Vanilla Powder is a smoky, salty beast—clinging through showers, ocean swims, and even dry cleaning. Fans swear it lasts for days, with one saying it “survived Brighton Beach and a hug that haunted my jacket for a week.”

• The Rolling Stones Bottle Their Rebellion in a Fragrance 🎸🔥
  RS No. 9, crafted by perfumer Catherine Selig, is a bold mix of bourbon, leather, and oud—built to last as long as their legacy. Reviewers say it “clings like a stadium encore, lingering through showers, late nights, and even the morning after.” They only 999 numbered bottles.

• Billie Eilish is rolling the dice with a new fragrance. Your Turn, a departure from her signature vanilla, leans fresh and musky with ginger, coconut water, and sandalwood. Plus, the dice-inspired bottle is refillable.

• If cheddar and tabasco sauce can work in cupcakes, could they work as fragrance notes—or would that be a crime against noses?

AFFORDABLE SCENTED INDULGENCES 💘

The season of love is here. Whether you see Valentine’s Day as a Hallmark holiday, peak capitalist nonsense, or just an eye-roll fest—you love scent, and that’s why you’re here. I skipped the holiday gift guide, but I couldn’t resist this one.

Let’s be real: even if you’re not in the mood to gift someone else, you always deserve something that smells good. But this isn’t just about perfume—it’s about sneaky ways to fill your life (and maybe someone else’s) with fragrance disguised as practical self-care, chocolate, and home goods.

Not everyone is ready to commit to a full bottle of extrait de parfum—but a candle, a chocolate bar laced with rose petals, or a very indulgent bath bomb? That’s just good gift giving. Here’s a list of scented Valentine’s treats that make life smell better.

SCENTED TREATS UNDER $70

• 💌 Lush Love Letter Bath Bomb ($6.50) – A love-letter-shaped bath bomb with creamy coconut milk powder and a strawberry sundae scent.

• 🌹 Korres Wild Rose Face Sheet Mask ($9) – A floral-scented mask that hydrates and brightens while adding a delicate touch of fragrance to their routine.

• 🍫 Madhu Dark Rose Pistachio Chocolate ($10) – 85% dark chocolate with dried rose petals, pistachios, and cocoa butter—rich, floral, and indulgent.

• 🍯 Madhu Saffron Milk Chocolate ($10) – Creamy milk chocolate infused with floral saffron, melting into a golden, honeyed delight.

• 🍫 Mirelli Rose Petals Praline ($15) – Belgian dark chocolate with praline and dried rose petals—a luxe floral-chocolate fusion.

• 💖 Posh White Chocolate and Rose Body Wash ($15) – A swoon-worthy blend of roses and white chocolate, leaving skin soft, hydrated, and ready for romance.

• 🥜 D.S. & Durga Pistachio Soap ($20) – A creamy, nutty lather of their best-selling gourmand scent.

• 📜 Santa Maria Novella Armenia Incense Paper ($28) – Centuries-old perfumed paper infused with a warm, spicy blend of myrrh, frankincense, and sandalwood—perfect for scenting drawers, burning as incense, or tucking into love letters.

• 🥢 Trudon Scented Matches ($30) – Smoky-scented matches infused with leather, tobacco, and spice.

• 🧺 Dedcool x Ouai Laundry Day Set ($38) – Sneak fragrance into their chores with this ultra-chic laundry set that turns mundane tasks into indulgent rituals.

• 🛁 Soft Services Theraplush Set ($62) – A luxuriously scented and ultra-moisturizing set, ideal for anyone obsessed with their self-care routine.

• 🐾 Arquiste Little Paws Candle ($65) – A playful, cozy scent of crispy corn chips, buttered popcorn, orange blossom, and vanilla—perfect for celebrating (or masking) your furry best friend.

AFFORDABLE SKIN MUSKS & INTIMATE SCENTS (Under $100)

• 🌙 Nemat Amber Musk Oil ($18) – A warm, skin-hugging musk with soft amber undertones, ideal for an intimate, barely-there scent.

• 🌿 Cyklar Perfume Oils ($24) – Luxe-smelling, layer-able oils with a mix of sensual musks, creamy gourmands, and fresh florals—perfect for finding a signature scent without the designer price tag.

• 🧴 Ambre Blends Solace Body Cream ($32) – An intoxicating, sexy skin scent with warm, musky vanilla and soothing Egyptian geranium—best left lingering on bed sheets.

• 💨🌸 Touchland Body & Hair Fragrance Mist, Vanilla Velvet ($36) – A skincare-infused mist that hydrates while leaving behind a warm, indulgent scent of vanilla, coconut flakes, creamy almond, and fresh muguet.

• 📖 Jouissance Parfums "The Collected Works" Discovery Set (£45, full-size £180) – Three sensual, provocative scents that blur the lines between skin and desire. La Bague D’O is a floral-spiced seduction with castoreum, inspired by The Story of O. En Plein Air captures the thrill of rain-soaked skin and citrus-drenched escapades. Les Cahiers Secrets swirls with powdery warmth and flushed-skin spices, evoking Anaïs Nin’s diaries. Fall for one? The full-size arrives in an opulent silk box.

• 🧳 Granado Esplendor Scented Suitcase ($80) - A sun-drenched tribute to Rio, this set features Esplendor, a floral-woody blend of balsamic vanilla, amber, and tropical blooms. Inside: a 25ml perfume, 50g hand cream, and a creamy bar soap, all packed with hydrating murumuru butter, açaí oil, and coconut oil. Bonus: If it’s sold out online, Granado’s Soho store is a hidden gem for bodycare, mini candles, and fragrance gifts.

At the end of the day, love yourself first. Buy the flowers, eat the chocolate, spritz the perfume—do it all. Because when the roses wilt and the sweets are just crumbs, it’s your own lingering magic that matters most. You’re the gift, and no one else can wrap that up quite like you.

That’s all for today, friends! You’re all my valentines! Love you and stay smelling good.

x
Nadia

Thanks for reading Perfumeverse NYC :) If you enjoyed this, please send it your valentine <3.

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